Children of Shinra
by Womble619
Summary: What if Elmyra wasn't at the train station the day she found Aerith? Or what if Ifalna had simply got off at a different stop? If the Cetra flower girl had been captured, how would growing up in a Shinra science lab have been for a child? A silver haired SOLDIER knows the answer to that and together they might just become one another's salvation in a world with no where to run
1. Chapter 1

**Hello all! So a warm welcome to 'Children of Shinra'!**

**Now some of you might know that I have begun this fic while I am mid-way through writing my other big story 'Fearing the 1st'. I just wanna say if you are a reader of that fic, firstly I LOVE YOU :D and secondly, please don't panic! Both fics will still be getting regular updates and I am not abandoning either. Not in the slightest.  
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**Similarly if you haven't read 'Fearing the 1st' and you do enjoy this story, please go check it out and drop me some PM's or reviews on your thoughts. It would make you one my new final fantasy friends!**

**Now as for this fic! This is going to be a Sephiroth/Aerith fic , what kind of relationship they are going to have is a mystery and other than what you have read in the plot description I am giving nothing away! MUAHAHAHA :D. First thing you should know about me is that I never give anything away early, so you never have to worry about reading spoilers in the A/N's. Just know that I will do my best to make this exciting and enjoyable to read and I never abandon fics.**

**Anyways I hope you all enjoy! Please drop me some feedback it is hugely appreciated especially when a story is just getting started, reviews and opinions at an early stage are like gold dust! **

**Have fun, feel all of the feels and I have decided I will only say this disclaimer once so don't expect to see it again: I do not own any of the FF7 material being used in this fic, it all belongs to Square Enix.**

**On we go!**

* * *

Staring up at the blank white lights that covered the entirety of the ceiling in his room, Sephiroth let his mind zone out and wonder aimlessly. Not something he did on a frequent basis, but in moments like this it always seemed to help ease the pain.

Laying on the small bed he was fast outgrowing in a half-conscious and trance like state, he frowned hazily up at the sky. Why did the ceiling need to have this many lights? And did they really need to always be this bright? Surely the professor would still be able to see him even if they were just a teensy bit dimmer? He turned his head weakly on his pillow to look at the large single sided window covering one of the walls of his sterile colourless room, the man was probably watching him now.

If he had the strength, Sephiroth would have glared at his own reflection in the hope that Hojo would be on the other side to receive it. Though it would probably be for the best if he wasn't, it would only give the scientist an excuse to send him for another series of sessions with doctor Coates, Hojo's preferred company psychologist.

Sephiroth didn't like Hojo, well truth be told he never liked Hojo but lately his disliking had started turning to hate. Every day the stuff the scientists were doing to him under the man's ever-watchful eyes was starting to hurt more and more and the professor didn't even seem to care. In fact, if the bone marrow injections he had endured earlier were anything to go by, the scientist actually seemed to enjoy it.

Sephiroth exhaled shakily, it was all because he was becoming older now, his body was supposedly getting stronger and therefore more resilient at withstanding heavier amounts of experimentation. At least that's what he overheard the doctors saying, no one explained anything to him anymore.

It was while he was on that trail of thought about being older that he was reminded of something amusing that made his lips curl up slowly at the glaring lights again. It was his twelfth birthday today. Not that it really mattered, not that anyone would care or anything would be any different. The continuous cycle of lab, training, studies and sleep would continue because there had only ever been one person who had really cared or remembered about his birthday.

The smile that was barely hanging onto his face fell off completely and Sephiroth tried to swallow the small lump in his throat but had little success as they were dehydrating him in preparation for his next visit to the lab.

Why did Professor Gast have to leave? Did he not care anymore? Were all those things he said about them being friends a lie? Sephiroth didn't know, he just knew that he missed the kind professor, missed him so much he wanted to curl up and cry. Not that he would dare to really do it, that would earn him a whole lot more than just an extensive visit to doctor bad-breath Coates.

The boy continued gazing up at the lights in mournful thought. Professor Gast had been the only one who made all of this tolerable, the only one who showed him any sort of affection or care. Today as it was his birthday, the Professor would have found a way to secretly slip him some sort of present or treat which Sephiroth would have taken the greatest of care to keep hidden. But Professor Gast was no longer around so he would get nothing, without any reason or explanation the only father figure he had just disappeared one day many years ago without even saying goodbye.

That hurt more than Professor Hojo's experiments.

He didn't like it here anymore, he wanted to leave and every day it was getting worse. Soon they would start putting Mako into him and if his lessons on SOLDIER and Mako had taught him anything, it was that Mako… HURT. He would become the youngest person ever to receive the chemical enhancements that would turn him into a powerful machine of war, they keep telling him that it is something he should feel proud and honoured about. He just felt scared.

Sephiroth blinked. Perhaps he could run away? He was good with a sword as it was by far his strongest skill and one of the few parts of his training he truly enjoyed. He could take a blade during his next practice session and fight his way out, maybe even slice Hojo's ugly beady little head off along the way as a bonus.

Now he was smiling softly again which the twelve-year old boy found interesting. The way a thought alone could change his temperament and distract him from the intense discomfort he was feeling.

Maybe his weapons trainer was right after all? Maybe pain and emotions really were only in the mind? Perhaps that was the answer to escaping all of this and making life more bearable? Simply blocking it all out.

Sephiroth thought he would test this theory out for himself.

When the next alarm went off in his sleeping quarters an hour later to alert him that his next visit to the lab was grimly upon him. Instead of groaning miserably and getting up lethargically as usual, the boy propped himself up as quickly as possible, forcing a shaky grin in an attempt to hide any pain from showing and hoping that if he didn't grimace or whince it would make it better.

His own experiment failed, the agony in his limbs felt like his body was trying to tear itself apart and he collapsed back down to a horizontal position gasping for air. It was the pain under his ribs that was the worst, the burning sensation radiating in that area was making it hard to breath. He choked on his ragged breathing sadly. Shutting off his emotions and separating his mind from his feelings hadn't worked. Not yet anyway.

He would stick at it, he had to, otherwise he might just well go insane.

* * *

Trying not to drag his feet in thirsty exhaustion, the newly one year away from being a teenager navigated his way uncomfortably through the Shinra corridors in the direction of the laboratories. It was a long and arduous walk through repetitively blue and grey halls with the occasional flight of stairs or elevator along the way, the former of which he would always choose if given the choice. Regardless of how tired he was, sharing a small and confined box with another person was not Sephiroth's idea of pleasant and he would often avoid it at all costs.

Walking along the same frequently traversed route on autopilot, Sephiroth stared straight ahead at nothing in particular the entire time, he didn't need to look around to know that everyone was giving 'the boy with the silver hair who Hojo said we can't talk to' a wide berth. He didn't care anymore, he was used to it, most of them were probably dull morons who he could chop up into a thousand tiny pieces if he so wished it anyway. In fact he wouldn't talk to them even if they did have the guts to face the mad scientists fury and try to strike up a conversation with him. HE would reject THEM.

So taking the fastest elevator free route down to the science department, he refused as always to make direct eye contact with anyone along the way, which was harder than it seemed because of the time of day. It had just turned afternoon so much to the boys disliking the corridors were packed with swarms of employees making their way happily to lunch, subjecting him to their aggravating noisy ramblings about stupid stuff like who didn't get invited to what party. Or who got caught doing what with who. Or if bad mouthing their colleagues wasn't the prime topic of discussion, perhaps the same old whinge about canteen prices or unfair workloads and expectations would be more to their liking?

It was always the same dull droning and he was tired of it. He would rather listen to some of the idiotic and unintelligent ramblings of children his own age for once over the pathetic drivel that adults came out with. Unfortunately adults were the only thing he was ever surrounded in so instead of listening to their conversations, Sephiroth focused on playing with the sleeves of his dark plain navy jumper instead.

When that got dull, which was extremely quickly, he started playing a game he often liked to play in his head on occasions just like this when he was surrounded by people and got bored. It was a strategic game where he imagined and planned out what he would do if everyone around him at this very moment had weapons and suddenly tried to attack him.

Scanning around the battlefield, Sephiroth decided he would first dispatch of the two second class SOLDIER's up ahead who had just opened the heavy double doors he was soon to pass through. His opening move would be to stab the bigger blonde haired one who would be too slow in drawing his weapon. Then he would use a double underhand high-block and slash to deal with his brown haired colleague who would react instinctively and try to use his height against him.

After that the lonely third who was stood arguing angrily with a fire extinguisher nearby would become his next target. Ok so he knew the guy was actually holding a PHS to the other side of his head, but from the side Sephiroth was approaching it looked like he was shouting at a bright red inanimate object which made him smirk.

Next he would take down the group of cadets who were stood whispering about him over on the corner of the junction that turned off towards the lecturing halls that were predominantly dedicated to the studies of materia proficiency. It wouldn't take much to handle the group of seven, once he had killed two or three of them with basic manoeuvres, it would then simply become a case of chasing the rest of them down when they inevitably tried to run.

After the seconds, thirds and cadets were all dead, the rest of the untrained staff in this corridor would be a mere clean up duty from that point on.

The young silver haired anomaly sighed tiredly when the final mass slaughter of all the office and administrative employees played out in his mind and thus signalled the end of the game. Not that it was a problem because he was arriving at the Shinra lab's now, the pungent smell of chemicals and sterile cleaning fluids always alerted him to that depressing fact early. Sephiroth hated that smell.

Walking through the sleek double glass doors that opened automatically, the young boy couldn't help but internally chuckle to himself just like he did every time he passed through those doors. He once watched them malfunction and refuse to open for Hojo while the creep had his head buried in a clipboard. The scientist had walked into them face first with a satisfyingly loud smack, breaking his glasses and very nearly his nose in the process. It was certainly one of Sephiroth's happier memories.

Stepping unemotionally into the so called 'lobby' of the science department he was rather taken aback when the usual mob of expectantly waiting scientists wasn't there to pounce on him. Was he early?

He looked up at the clock. No, not early.

That was strange. Maybe they had forgotten about him and he could go back to his room and rest? Or maybe they remembered it was his birthday and decided that one body violating experiment was enough for the day? Pfff, what silly wishful thinking that was.

* * *

Twenty-five minutes had passed and Hojo and his lap dogs had still not arrived. Sephiroth stood leaning against the far wall of the lobby with his arms folded, tapping his foot away in annoyance as he watched waves of white coat clad scientists pass by on the other side of the wall of glass that separated the reception with no receptionist from the nightmarish labs.

They all seemed to be in a rush, even more so than usual that is but it was kinda hard to tell, Hojo ran this place with an iron fist so people were always in a bit of a frenzy. Actually 'iron fist' was an understatement, Sephiroth was convinced that if Hojo ordered every scientist and doctor in this department to throw themselves off the top of the Shinra building right now, they'd probably do it in fear of what worse things would happen to them if they didn't. Not him though, he wouldn't be intimidated, Sephiroth would always take great pleasure in resisting and aggravating the greasy haired lab tyrant at every available opportunity he could. Provided that it didn't earn him a trip to Coates or the cold metal table that is.

He looked at the clock again and growled impatiently, he wanted to spend as little time as possible in this infernal place. Then it occurred to him. What if this WAS the experiment? Sephiroth folded his arms a little tighter. Perhaps they were watching him through the cameras right now in some kind of mental test to analyse his patience or his behaviour when he thought he was being unobserved?

"YOU STUPID BLITHERING BUFOON! REMOVE YOURSELF FROM MY SIGHT BEFORE I EXTRACT ONE OF THE TWO REMAINING BRAIN CELLS YOU MIGHT POSESS IN THAT WITLESS HEAD OF YOURS!"

Maybe not.

The twelve-year old boy watched as Hojo came storming into view of the window and marched down the blank white corridor with a pack of his ever-trying-to-please boot licking cronies close at his heels.

Sephiroth rolled his eyes at the sight. Pathetic

"OUT OF MY WAY YOU IGNORAMOUS!" Hojo raged on as he grabbed a young lady by the scruff of her coat and launched her out of the way for obstructing his path. "GAIA I AM SURROUNDED BY INFERIOR MORONS!"

The particularly grouchy professor stomped towards the lobby menacingly but Sephiroth didn't move an inch, he remained propped against the wall in idol observation.

"She is here! At long last she is here!"

The hard-nosed, round spectacled scientist crashed into the lobby rubbing his hands together and licking his lips eagerly, his facial expression taking a surprising polar opposite switch from anger to sheer excitement. At the same time Sephiroth's eyes flicked to his favorite automatic double doors as they hissed open on the other side of the room and a wave of hysterical sobbing and screeching flooded into the room to pain the boys ears. The horrendous sound was then followed by two SOLDIER's marching in while dragging a small girl of about six or seven kicking and screaming by the arms. Sephiroth's head lifted in intrigue.

"NO! GO AWAY! I DON'T LIKE IT! MAMA! I DON'T LIKE IT!"

She was tiny, the tiniest human he had ever seen in his life with small chestnut curls accompanied by a long twist of hair that traveled down to her waist and a light orange summer dress that was dirty with black smudges. What struck him most about the girl however were the owlishly large emerald green eyes she had that were pouring with tears and made him jump slightly when they spotted him across the room and held his gaze pleadingly as she yelped away while they pulled her along. Sephiroth's head became a bit of a blur. What did they want with a girl? Women couldn't become SOLDIER's. Did this mean he could leave?

He stood in encapsulated silence on the far side of the lobby where no one but the girl seemed to have noticed him yet.

"MAMA! IT HURTS! YOU'RE HURTING ME! I WANT TO GO HOME!"

Hojo stared down at the child in exhilarated fascination, dry thin lips peeling back in mirth as the girl tried to recoil away from him in fright.

"Oh yes! Oh yes oh yes! This is most definitely Ifalna's runt! Simply fascinating! It is like my old beloved specimen is staring me right back in the face!... Mind you, can't see much of you know who in it. Perhaps the imbecile gene skipped a generation?"

Sephiroth huffed distastefully as all of Hojo's minions let loose with their well-practiced but undeniably fake cackles in their never-ending battle to win the head scientists favor.

With a dismissing wave of the professors hand, the two restraining SOLDIER's let go of the squawking girl and when Hojo's boney hand shot out to roughly grab the girls chin to get a better look at her, Sephiroth considered sneaking away. Her constant crying for her mother and pleas to be let go had turned into one continuous high pitched squeal and it was giving him a headache. However he was extremely glad he decided to stay or else he would have missed the precious moment that unfolded before his eyes when Hojo tried to get a look at the girls teeth by pulling her lips down. The brown haired child squirmed away, whimpering and fighting to keep her mouth shut but then she suddenly bit back and sunk her small teeth into the professors finger while stomping her foot against his big toe, making Hojo howl and lose his grip on the new arrival.

Sephiroth grinned from ear to ear in satisfied delight, but then his expression turned to wide-eyed shock as the momentarily free girl came running in his direction while rapidly hyperventilating in terror.

He stood up sharply, not sure whether or not he should dive out the way or use an offensive manoeuvre on the approaching target.

Instead he froze up and in his panicked indecision he failed to react and she ran into him, latching her arms desperately around his middle to cling onto his waist as she only stood up to just below his chest.

His adrenaline spiked like mad and he took in an audible intake of breath while looking around at the room of scientists, completely at a loss for what to do with his arms suspended in mid-air like they were being held up by strings. Hojo was shouting and cursing loudly in the background and as Sephiroth looked down at the little thing attached to his middle trying to bury itself into his clothing, he couldn't help feeling sorry for the girl. She seemed so innocent and was shaking like crazy while gripping the back of his jumper with a strength he was surprised such spindly little arms could be capable of.

He slowly let his arms fall from their awkward position in the sky to rest gingerly on the girls back but he quickly put them up again and swallowed when the contact made her quickly look up at him. He stared back blankly with eyes that he was sure were making her puffy red and sparkly green ones look small. His training had never taught him how to handle a situation like this, at least he didn't think so, he would check over his text books later to be sure.

And then the strangest thing happened, it was no longer than a few seconds max but while he was trapped in that mind boggling hug, she looked up at him with this stare that knocked the wind out of him and made everything seem to stop for a moment. She was analyzing him, not just gazing helplessly in his direction but was intelligently and rationally studying him like she was trying to figure out who he might be or what kind of person he was. Sephiroth stood there rigidly under her inspection and it nervously baffled him how a girl who had to be at least five or six years younger than him was making him feel like the child.

Her hysterical crying had died down into quiet damp eyed sniffles and as Hojo and the other scientists ran over to grab the girl off him and take her away, he felt her small hand slip into his and she tip toed up to whisper something in his ear which he couldn't help but lean his ear down to listen to.

"Keep it safe, please don't let the bad man take it"

They snatched the girl off of him and although Hojo growled viciously in the child's face, she didn't make any more noise.

"I'll show you what happens to disgusting little animals that bite!"

They roughly whisked the girl off to the door of the lobby to take her away into the science labs and as they did so, Sephiroth who was feeling rather numb up until this point, regained some of his sensation and felt that something was in his hand the girl had touched. Taking a look he saw that she had placed a small white orb in the palm of his hand that was about a third smaller than the size of regular materia. He frowned, it didn't look like anything special. It couldn't actually be materia, it was too small and the wrong color for a start, plus it didn't show even the faintest hint of possessing any kind of magical properties that could be sensed in even the lowest grades of materia. Why would he bother putting his neck on the line to hide and keep something this worthless safe?

Then out of the corner of his eye, Sephiroth saw Hojo turn towards him at the door.

"And you boy!"

He reacted instinctively and closed his hands around the white orb while letting them fall discreetly to his sides.

"You won't be needed today"

Sephiroth nodded neutrally and made straight for the door, he didn't need to be told twice.

"BUT!... Don't think for one minute you're going to be lazing about for the rest of the day you idle little lout. I want you over with Wilkes for the rest of the day training". The professor glared and pointed his finger at him, "And if I find out you haven't been, your feet won't touch the floor for a week... After all, we wouldn't want you thinking today was anything... special"

Hojo sniggered spitefully and then slinked away out the door after his newly acquired test subject.

Sephiroth clenched his teeth. So the god damn bastard knew it was his birthday after all.

Oh well… the joke was on the professor, he actually enjoyed weapons training.


	2. Chapter 2

**Good morning all!**

**Big thanks for the chapter 1 reviews snickermoon814, TemariFire and Ocena Strex. It was very encouraging to see some interest early on and I would love to see how you guys/gals continue to like the story :D.**

**I've always been such a prude with my ships in the past. A.K.A Tifa MUST be with Cloud and Zack MUST be with Aerith and Yuffie MUST be with Vincent and everything else in unacceptable and unnatural in my mind lolz! So this fic is definitely new grounds for me and me spreading my wings and I must say with the ideas I have in my head for 'Children of Shinra' I am enjoying it greatly so far.**

**Anyway chapter 2 here, enjoy!**

* * *

Sephiroth took a long drink of his water, wiped the sweat of his brow with the back of his sleeve then set the bottle down next to his practice sword that sat beside him on the changing room bench. He had fifteen minutes to rest before they moved onto the third part of his training, speed and footwork, always the most commonly neglected and underestimated aspects of swordsplay.

Despite being in the room alone, Sephorith took one last look around regardless to make sure he wasn't being watched and seeing no one was lurking about he reached into his right pocket to fish the small white orb from the small hole he had ripped into the lining of the pocket. Of course he wasn't stupid enough to simply keep the orb in the actual pocket itself, he would have been caught with it in the first few weeks if he had done that.

Five months he had kept it safe and five months had passed since Sephiroth had seen that child who's name he had found out to be Aerith had given the jewel that despite his best efforts he still hadn't managed to figure out what it was or what it did. The boy had studied the orb endlessly and by this point he was almost completely convinced that it was indeed as he first suspected, worthless. Yet despite his confident belief and the strong temptation he had to just throw it away, something in the back of his mind didn't allow him to stop thinking about either it or the girl that had given it to him. Twenty-two weeks of feeling an unexplainable instinct to keep the damn thing and the burning desire to know what it did was now driving him insane, he had to know, he needed to know and that meant he had to speak to this Aerith child.

It was a task that would have been impossible only a couple of months ago but now, much to Hojo's fury, the girl wasn't proving to be quite the golden egg they had originally thought she was and was now getting more freedom from the labs. From what he had managed to discerns from Hojo's fits of rage and gradualling declining mood, Aerith was the last survivor of some ancient extinct race that had the power to talk to the planet and lead Shinra to some special place would provide the company with a whole bunch of fresh Mako.

The downside to this however and what was to blame for Hojo's venomous mood swings, was that the scientist's had discovered the girls so called 'Cetra powers', wouldn't come into full maturity until she hit womanhood. So much to Hojo's displeasure it meant that the seven year old girl had roughly nine years until Hojo could make full use of her and in turn that meant she wouldn't be disappearing anytime soon. While in some ways it was a blessing for the girl, it certainly didn't mean that her lab days were over, she would still be forced to attend regular visits and undergo frequent tests down at the science department much like he did, just not on a 24/7 basis… and that's what was going to give him the opportunity to interrogate the girl.

"Hey Seph! You ready to go again!?"

The deep in thought boy jumped slightly and quickly pocketed the orb as his training parent shouting into the room from the doorway signalled the end of his beak. Surprising him with how quickly it had ended.

Grabbing his sword Sephiroth got up and rushed over to get back to training. The sooner he was done here the sooner he could leave, find the girl and demand she tell him what this stupid orb thing was so he could be free of the irritating curiosity he was unable to shake off. Once training was over he would only have about an hour before he had to be at his 'beasts and monsters of Gaia' class, that should be enough time to find the girl… or alien… or whatever she was.

"Hey day dreamer! Are you coming or not!?"

Sephiroth had paused and relapsed into thinking about the girl again, an insufferably frequent occurrence which was all the more reason he had to be rid of these nuisance thoughts. What was it about this girl that was making it so hard to…

"Seriously! Do I have to come in there and drag you out!?"

Sephiroth growled at himself then shook his head to clear his mind and left the changing room, walking alongside his sparring partner as they made their way back into the training hall.

"Oh so you are alive in there, I was beginning to wonder. So Seph, you ready to go again? Speed and footwork this round, reckon your quick enough?"

Sephiroth smirked up at the sixteen year old cadet challenging him and gave him a 'bitch, please' type of expression that made the cadet laugh and throw a friendly arm around his shoulder.

"I like you kid. You don't say much, but I like you"

Sephiroth grinned up at the black haired adolescent. He always did have to partner up with guys who were bigger and older than him and although he had only known this new guy for a few months, Sephiroth always found that practice was just that extra bit more fun whenever he got paired up with Angeal.

* * *

Aerith was a strange child, when Sephiroth eventually found her after training, she was sat cross-legged in the middle of the east corridor that connected the canteen to the nurses ward on floor twenty three and was doing the most bizzare thing he had ever seen. He had been watching her for the last ten minutes in total confusion as she sat in the middle of the empty hallway facing squarely in front of one of the many office style plants that could be found dotted all over the place in Shinra's attempt at making the place seem less 'urban'. She was leaning forward with her short arms buried up to the elbows in the plants pot, her hands pressing flat against the soil while she hummed away a light tuneful melody that most people would probably find relaxing but after ten minutes of it Sephiroth was beginning to find it made him feel anxious and unsettled which in turn made him feel aggravated.

But it wasn't just the humming that was getting on his nerves, the way she sat seeming like she hadn't a care in the world while a thick book titled 'Elemental Materia Volume 9: Cure 1, 2 &amp; 3' that was discarded down by her side was also to blame. It was clear that the girl should be studying, not sitting around singing to foliage and that annoyed him. Slackers annoyed him.

He zoned in on the book again in thought, based on its title and the location he had found the child, Sephiroth came to the conclusion that as the girl could no longer remain a 24/7 lab rat for Hojo, they had decided to put this so called 'Aerith' into nurses school.

It was a logical deduction to make considering all of the evidence before him, they had to keep her occupied somehow all the while she remained within the confines of the Shinra building. Though she was however a bit young for nursing school, perhaps they had found that she had an above average proficiency in casting restoration magic?

That thought annoyed him too. Sephiroth detested the subject above them all and found it to be a tedious waste of his time. It was a totally illogical subject, where was the sense in deducting time that he could spend becoming a better fighter, to learn a subject that was only needed in the event that his combat skills were not efficient enough to avoid injury? Surely if he just spent that time training harder he would have no need for said 'healing' in the first place.

No… he and Aerith were most certainly not going to get along.

Deciding he had been aggravated from afar for long enough, Sephiroth started walking briskly down the empty corridor towards the girl. He would demand to know what this white orb thingy was, satisfy his curiosity then give it back to her and go.

"Hey you!" he shouted roughly when he had travelled half the distance that lie between them but he received no reaction from Aerith and he frowned. Was she deaf? It was impossible for her not to have heard him.

Getting closer he repeated himself sharply, "HEY YOU!"

Sephiroth's brain twitched in annoyance when he still got no response so he stepped right on over to tower above the girl, rolling his eyes when he saw that the little weirdo had been humming away with her eyes closed the entire time. That was still no excuse for not hearing him.

"What are you doing!?" Sephiroth demanded loudly, clenching his fists at his side and certain by now that she was ignoring him on purpose.

"Singing and touching a plant" came the simple softly pitched response to which Sephiroth didn't know how to respond at first.

"Uh. Well… yes... yes I can see that!... but why are you doing it!?" he snapped, wondering if goading him was her intention.

"Because I like it"

Yes, she was most definitely trying to provoke him on purpose and Sephiroth grit his teeth. He was this close to completely losing his temper now but before he did he exercised the greatly practised skill of surpressing his emotions and dismissed trying question the girl any further on her strange antics.

"Well it's weird. Anyway I have the white bead thing you gave me. You can have it back now. It's useless"

The girl with long chestnut curls opened her enormous green eyes that seemed almost too big for her face at times and looked at him calmly. She stared up at him and then held his gaze for a length of time that many would consider rude, Sephiroth being one of them. At first he tried not to fidget as she placed him under the big emerald green spotlight, but then when her constant unending gawking didn't stop his temper began to rise again. Was she doing it intentionally to wind him up? Or was it something else? Did she not believe him that he had kept the stupid white orb? Was she calling him a lier to his face?

"What are you staring at!?" he barked heatedly, digging his nails into the palms of his clenched hands.

Aerith responded by taking her hands out of the plant pot, standing up confidently and brushing her dirty hands down the front of her pink dress. Her movement closed what little distance they had between them even further and while the silver-haired boy who had been looming over her didn't quite take a retreating step away in an attempt to stand his ground, he rocked backwards on his heels.

Taking another step forward to be a mere few inches directly in front of him, Aerith got uncomfortably closer, looking up at him with a neutral expression. Sephiroth took this approach as a threatening challenge and narrowed his eyes back at her, squinting in hateful hostility but to his shock it only made the neutral expression transform into a brightly lit smile. He openly gaped down at the girl in puzzlement and suddenly Aerith did the same totally inappropriate thing she had done five months ago and invaded his personal space to put her arms around his waist and hug him.

"Thankyou Sepharoth, thankyou for keeping it safe"

The boy stood there like a bean pole, holding his breath as being embraced again made a foreign cramp-like feeling manifest itself in the pit of his stomach that he didn't much like but then it went away and his jaw clenched that the girl had pronounced his name wrong.

"It's Seph**Y**roth, Seph**Y**-roth... not Seph**A**roth"

The girl giggled and the boy growled, he did not like being laughed at.

"What are you laughing at!?"

"Nothing... Seph**Y**"

His eyes widened.

"NO! Do not call me that!"

She giggled again then unwrapped herself from him and went to bend down and pick up her heavy school book off the floor and with great effort wrestled it into one arm only which made him frown. Aerith successfully managed to get the weighty document half tucked half slung over her left shoulder and then with the right she was intentionally keeping free, grabbed his hand without invitation and started walking down the corridor with him being pulled along in tow in total confusion.

"What are you doing!?"

"Being friends"

His brow furrowed and nose wrinkled up at this.

"What!? We are not friends!"

The crazy plant whisperer stopped and turned to look at him with wide upset eyes that to his alarm started welling up with glistening tears.

"Hey! Why are you doing that!? Stop that!?" he barked which only served to water-log the child's eyes further. "What...what are you doing!?

"You don't want to be my friend?" she whimpered tearfully.

"Huh?... wait... wh-what?... No I... stop crying!... I didn't… no I didn't say that... What!? Look I didn't say that ok just stop crying!"

His bewildered stammering made a watery smile spread across Aerith's face and she sniffed back her tears while arching her head awkwardly to wipe her damp eyes against her shoulders, adamantly refusing to let go off either his hand or the book.

"Could you always come here at this time every day?" she asked bluntly and just as Sephiroth had starting getting his head around what had just happened with the tears he was backed into another mind jumbling corner.

"Well… yes… yes I could... but I can't see..."

"Good so can I!" she chirped joyfully and started pulling him along to Minerva only knew where she was taking him.

"Look Aerith or whatever your name is" he started, trying to bring some sense back into the world again. "I only came here to give your bead thingy back, ask what it did and go"

"It's magical" she called back as she pulled them around a corner to traverse down yet another unoccupied corridor.

"And who told you that?" he scoffed back, "because I am pretty sure it isn't. I know about this kinda stuff and I can tell you now that it shows none of the signs or colorations of being any form of crystalized mako that I've ever heard about"

Aerith looked back at him blankly and he sighed realizing he needed to talk in a much simpler language for the child.

"Who told you it was magical?"

The girl answered back confidently as she squirmed to shuffle the book that was slipping from her grasp back into the awkward one handed grapple.

"Mama said it was, she said it was very very special and I had to keep it super safe because it once belong to all of my family. She said I would find out what it did when I was bigger and that it would keep everyone who was nice safe"

Sephiroth huffed in disappointment at the spew of vague nonsense, but what else he really expected? It was silly of him to have anticipated that the girl would come out with anything other than some ridiculous story told by some sappy parent filling their child's head fairy tales.

"Well you can have it back" he droned in distaste and reached into his pocket to retrieve it from the inner lining.

"No"

"No?" Sephiroth parroted back quizzically.

"No let's both keep it, we can take turns in keeping it safe together"

"And why would I do that?" he raised his brow at the back of her head.

"Because then it will keep you safe too"

Fed up of being dragged along Sephiroth picked up his pace to walk alongside the midget who was still not relinquishing the hold of his hand.

"Well I thought you said it only keeps 'nice' people safe" he replied with the intention to sound mocking but then he started feeling strangely apprehensive and looked to her for a response.

"You are nice Sephy...", he glared at her mid-sentence for the horrific nick-name but Aerith didn't notice. "… you just like to pretend you're not"

Though she quite clearly had no base or knowledge of him to make such a statement, Sephiroth still couldn't deny that it made him feel oddly good inside hearing that. No one had ever called him 'nice' before and a small inkling of a smile crept itself across his lips but he quickly suppressed it when the girl looked up at him sidelong, an action that made her stumble over her own feet and nearly lose hold of that infernal book again.

"Gaia will you just give that here already!"

He reached across and snatched the leather bound item off of her, thrusting it under his own arm to hold it with ease as they walked along.

He kept his stare fixed straight, realizing what he had just done and internally cursed himself for doing it when from the corner of his eye he could see that Aerith was beaming up at him clownishly. He didn't want her to get the wrong idea and think he had tried to help her so he decided to try acting unfriendly towards her, even though all of his attempts thus far had failed miserable.

"Look girl. If you're going to survive around here you had better start toughening up pronto and stop acting so childish" he ordered down at her sourly.

Aerith nodded her small head assertively, "ok"

"You have to be stronger, you need to know how to take care of yourself and never, I mean never cry. That's golden rule number 1 got it?"

"Got it"

"And you should probably learn how to fight and defend yourself because only a certified moron doesn't learn how to defend themselves"

"... oh... will you teach me?"

It was a strange question but Sephiroth considered it for a moment, Hojo and his tutors had often told him that one day he would be expected to train SOLDIER's himself and take on a leadership role in the army. Strengthening up a scrawny little female might just well prove to be decent practice, after all if he could help such a little weakling as this girl survive the rigours of Shinra life, SOLDIER's and cadets would surely be a piece of cake?

"Ok yes, we meet here at 1500 hours on the dot every day without delay to commence your training. Starting immediately. Now do you have any questions before we begin?"

Giving orders felt good.

"Ummmmmm" Aerith tuned, thinking long and hard about it while swinging their hands which Sephiroth had just remembered were still linked tightly together. "Is your hair really real?"

"… my… hair?" he mumbled unsure if he had heard correctly. "What kind of question is that!?... What has that got to with anything!?"

"I like it, it's really pretty"

He squinted at her suspiciously to check to see if she mocking him. "... you… like my hair?"

She nodded sincerely and Sephiroth uncharacteristically felt himself blush as he realized the compliment towards his biggest insecurity was genuine.

"Uhh… thanks. Your hair is errr… pretty to"

Aerith battered her eyelashes up at him, giggled bashfully and blushed five times as heavily as he had which Sephiroth couldn't help but find amusing and chuckled lightly.

They continued absently strolling along together hand in hand and despite his better judgement, Sephiroth found himself pulled into talking, acting and feeling like a typical kid his own age as he spent the next few hours in Aerith's company. He even managed to forget and fail to attend his 'beasts and monsters of Gaia' class, a first which he was sure to be punished for at a later date but by this point he didn't really care. Something about Aerith mesmerized him and though he didn't fully understand or know what powers these so called 'Cetra' were supposed to possess, the only one he could identify in her was the uncanny power she had at worming her way under his skin.


	3. Chapter 3

**Afternoon my fellow FF7 fans!**

**Big thanks for the reviews Moosh, TemariFire, Chrono and Ocena Strex! Alot of wonderful feedback that is much appreciated. **

**So I really enjoyed writing this chapter and hope you all love it to! and keep feeding my your thoughts. **

**Over the last few days my head has practically exploded with so many more great ideas for this fic! If only there was a machine that could instantly write out all your ideas into a coherent story and grammar/spell check it immediately... Gosh why is this not a thing yet!? :D**

**Enjoy!**

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"Ahhh... feels good to be back" Angeal tuned as he stretched his arm across himself, enjoying the satisfying yet disturbing crack of his left shoulder blade. "Wouldn't you agree Gen?"

The stride of the second class SOLDIER stomping a couple of paces ahead of them didn't miss a beat and no response was made. Sephiroth and Angeal smirked sideways at each other and despite what most would believe, even the sensible and diplomatic Angeal couldn't resist going back in for another go.

"Hey Genesis! I saiiiiiddd! Isn't it nice to be..."

"Piss off Angeal"

Sephiroth chuckled and his older friend shook his head at the back of the Auburn haired man in amusement.

"Owch… and here I was thinking the master of words took pride in his vocabulary"

Genesis raised his middle finger in the air behind him.

"A lumbering oaf such as you is unworthy of my refined diction"

They had just got back from a two week long assignment in Condor forest to deal with the growing infestation of Kimara bugs in the area and it was easy to guess that Genesis' current temperament was due to the fact that his extermination count had not been high enough to beat Sephiroth's. That and the fact they were now setting a direct path to the canteen after the cramped ten hour journey back to Midgar in the back of a truck.

"Come now Angeal, you know Genesis gets angry when he's hungry"

The man chuckled his agreement while briefly nodding his head to a passing third called Killian who was once a cadet in his class.

"Yes. Hungry. Or sleepy. Or cold. Or rained on" Angeal reeled the list off on his fingers.

"Or if anyone commits a fashion or grammar blunder of any sort in his presence" Sephiroth contributed humorously.

"True true… but let's not forget the ultimate crime that really ticks the princess off… seeing a performance of Loveless that is not to her liking"

Genesis pushed open the double doors leading to the SOLDIER's dining hall and turned while holding them open with a calm and composed grin, not taking the bait.

"Then you have much to answer for old man, because this so called 'princess' still managed to slay more Kimara's than you did"

Sephiroth made a hissing 'ooh you just got burned' sound and Genesis took his opportunity to grin victoriously and swing the doors shut in their faces. Sephiroth rolled his eyes as he heard a snigger on the other side. To think they were the same age.

Angeal shoved the doors open again and casually defended himself with a carefree wave of his hand, "hey I'm more than happy to leave the ego competition to you children… especially if it means that I wasn't the one who was up for three days straight hunting Kimara's out in the COLD and the RAIN"

Genesis froze, his composure that had endured surprisingly long finally snapping and Sephiroth could practically envision the man's eye twitching on the other side of his head as a faint aura of heat began to rise off of the fire materia fanatics hands. Genesis had been so desperate to beat Sephiroth this mission that he hadn't slept for 72 hours straight in his struggle to get his kill count up, even venturing out in the pitch black of night to find the vicious insects. Then when they eventually decided to break the news to him that Kimara bugs didn't come out at night, the furious SOLDIER had cut down at least a hundred trees in the process of attacking them with his sword.

"Ahh you know I'm only joking buddy", the twenty-five year old Angeal clapped his smouldering twenty-year old counterpart heavily on the back as he cue jumped in front of Genesis last minute to join the back of the food line before him.

Genesis' hands cooled off. This was simply a part of the ongoing game the trio played amongst themselves, their harmless albeit twisted idea of fun to try and push each other to the edge without taking any real offense. It was one of the great things about their friendship and while it wasn't just Genesis who was the subject of the attacks, he was always the easiest to break. Angeal on the other hand was by far the hardest to get at but two months ago he and Genesis had successfully made the man lose his cool which had felt like a momentous achievement. The memory still had Sephiroth creasing up till this day, especially the part where Genesis pulled out his PHS and landed a perfectly timed victory fanfare tune just as Angeal began storming away.

"Just remember, there's always the next assignment"

Genesis used whatever pride he had left to wave his hand dismissively at the back of the thickly muscled SOLDIER who had stolen his place in line.

"Pfff whatever. I still beat you and if my hands had not been tied behind my back with ridiculous rules, I would have beaten his royal highness over here to. The whole thing was a farce from the get go"

Sephiroth made a scoffing sound in his throat as he too stepped into line behind the stroppy pyromaniac.

"Because allowing you to kill forest monsters with fire magic... that couldn't possibly have gone wrong"

Genesis pivoted his head around and sneered back at him.

"Well perhaps next time we'll make a 'no stupidly oversized swords' rule and see how well you do then pretty boy"

Folding his arms Sephiroth cooly turned his gaze away to remain casually aloof and observe the menu and prices overhead, not that there was any point in doing so, he had no choice in matters pertaining to his diet as it was strictly monitored on his behalf. All his meals were pre-planned and prepared by the science department, not trusting him enough to regulate his own nutrition and enhancing most of what he ate. It was just another one of the many steps Shinra took towards ensuring he became their prized ultimate weapon and the perfect poster boy for the Shinra army. Sephiroth just saw it as one more trivial decision he would otherwise have to make himself taken out of his hands and off of his mind.

But still... 17 gil for a sandwich and a coffee? Even he could see that was extortionate.

"Goddess deliver me, what in Gaia's name is she wearing!?"

Moving his eyes away that were observing the ever-inflating canteen prices with a very thin interest, Sephiroth looked around and frowned at Genesis' melodramatic screech. There were rarely any woman found in the SOLDIER's dining hall and there were none now that he could see.

"I thought the old uniform was bad enough, but this… this has to be some sort of joke"

Finally Sephiroth clocked it and sighed. Genesis was talking about the canteen staff and when Angeal realized this to, he turned around in exhausted disbelief.

"You can't be serious… you cannot tell me you are actually bothered about what the dinner ladies wearing!?"

"I assure you I am and I assure you I can. If I wanted my food served to me by some fat troll that appears to have recently crawled from the Midgar swamp I would go eat in the slums"

Angeal hung his head in resignation and Sephiroth was thankful the Shinra cafeteria staff didn't have Mako enhanced hearing like the rest of the room, not that the opinionated nightmare had made any real effort in keeping a lowered voice.

"No. I am not being made to look at that grey abomination every day for the foreseeable future until our next assignment. This calls for action"

Both men groaned in unison despairingly.

"Not another petition Gen. I beg you"

Sephiroth shuddered at Angeal's very mention of the word 'petition'.

Genesis Rhapsodos petitions to change things around the place that displeased or aggravated him had become both numerous and infamous throughout the Shinra building. They were always horrific and troublesome affairs in which most people signed away out of fear rather than actual support of the policy the SOLDIER was seeking to impose. However for the unfortunate few who were unaware of the man's reputation and refused, most being young cadets and newer members of staff, their howls of terror could be heard day and night racing down the Shinra corridors at regular intervals, screaming about a lunatic who was trying to burn them alive.

It was always the same and once things had escalated far enough it would result in Genesis being called into director Lazard's office for a disciplinary which he and Angeal would have to combine forces to bail him out of just for a 'freedom of speech' petition to be started the very next day.

Sephiroth decided he would wait to threaten Genesis about it later when he wasn't tired from a ten hour road trip and his younger by three months friend wasn't holding up the front of a food cue.

"Can I help sweetie?"

Genesis stepped up to the counter, arms stiffly held down at his sides with an unamused expression on his face.

"Yes. Burn that diabolical uniform you are wearing. It's disgusting"

Sephiroth closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose and luckily the large woman behind the counter must have thought he was joking because she laughed heartily in response. Genesis however remained silent, pouting moodily at the lady with a hateful squint and things became very awkward very quickly… which coming from Sephiroth was really saying something. Growling Sephiroth booted the side of his combat boot into the back of the stubborn man's calf who snarled back angrily. Sephiroth flashed him a murderous glare and thankfully Genesis relented and moodily mumbled an order of guard-horn steak wraps and Banora apple juice, a highly predictable selection as it was always the first thing the man craved when they got back from a mission.

Once the self-proclaimed poet had trundled off with his food grumbling something about prison under his breath, Sephiroth stepped up to the counter neutrally and was greeted with the familiar look of wide eyed recognition followed by the immediate dashing away and returning of a tray of something that resembled a synthetic looking meatloaf. The elderly plump cafeteria worker wordlessly handed the tray over to him with an apologetic expression which he didn't acknowledge and walked away to join his colleagues.

Striding over to their usual table on the far side of the hall nearest the window, Sephiroth's hearing picked up on Angeal's mouth filled mumbling as he sifted over the newspaper he purchased to catch up on current events.

"..ooks ike hings ish get bad... Wutai"

"Swallow your food first you fucking animal"

Sephiroth stopped as he was about to go sit opposite a disgusted looking Genesis to peer over Angeal's shoulder at the paper with interest.

_'BARBARIC THREATS OF BRUTALITY. TENSIONS CONTINUE TO RISE!: Peaceful attempts of negotiations with the uncivilised nations of Wutai have once again ended in hostilities this week as the local warlord 'Lord Kisagari' makes bloodthirsty threats against innocent diplomats. President Shinra released a statement last night, stating that this kind of behaviour was unacceptable in a modern society and posed a 'very real and very serious' threat to the rest of the world. Now that diplomats are being withdrawn for their own safety, experts fear that the President has exhausted every other means of peaceful resolution and may be left no other choice but to take military action against the warmongering..._

Before he could read on any further, Sephiroth felt his senses become alert as footsteps came hurtling towards him from behind but before he could turn a small body crashed against his back and it was all he could do to stop his leathery looking lab meal from falling on Angeal's head.

"SEPHY! YOU'RE BACK!"

A small smile flicked at the corners of his mouth as those two strong little arms he knew well squeezed him tight across the middle.

"Hello Aerith"

"I'm so happy you're back! I've missed you!"

Sephiroth's restrained smile turned into a fully-fledged grin even though Angeal and Genesis were pulling sappy 'awwww' faces at him and pretending to sniff back imaginary tears to mock him. He didn't care, he had missed her to. Fiercely in fact and though he would take it to his grave, the best part of the entire mission for him had been the anticipation during the long truck ride home of seeing the girl again.

"I've only been gone two weeks" he replied lightly, not giving away any sign of the same immense relief he was feeling.

"Fifteen days is longer than two weeks mr and you promised you would find me the moment you got back" Aerith muffled into his back, giving him a dull thud with her fist.

She really was so happy to see him again, life around the place really sucked when Sephiroth was away. She missed their routine together, she missed his company, she missed telling him about her day and battling to find out about his. Dare she say it she even missed his rigid sense of humour.

Sephiroth awkwardly moved to set his tray down and as he turned to face her she was forced to let go of her snuggled grip against him. "I only got back ten minutes ago and unless your timetable has changed in the last two weeks…"

"Fifteen days"

"… you should be in class now"

Aerith was wearing pale blue jeans and her plain white nurses training top with a book filled bag slumped at her feet, she was most definitely supposed to be in class.

The fifteen closing on sixteen year old girl looked up at him with the purest display of joy and excitement in her eyes as she placed her hands firmly on her hips and tilted her face sideways at him.

"I ran out of class when I heard you were back. So what? Are you're going to lecture me about it?"

Sephiroth raised his brow down at the teenage girl fast becoming a woman and folded his arms, rising up to his full height and putting his well-trained 'military commander' face on.

"I don't know. You tell me"

Sephiroth tried to keep a stern face and so did Aerith as she squinted back stubbornly, but neither of them could ever keep it up for long and Aerith soon felt herself breaking until she burst into giggles and shoved him away. The first time he had used that line on her was back when she was seven and it had made her laugh back then as well. It had become something of an endearment between them, well at least to her it had and she was almost sure it had to him too as he unfolded his arms straight to his sides with a teeny hint of a smile. Sephrioth trying not to smile was the best thing ever.

Gaia she really had missed him and Aerith opened her arms wide, bursting to get a real hello from him.

"Sheesh Seph! What's a sister gotta do to get a hug around here!?"

Sephiroth's eyes wandered around the canteen briefly and the Cetra girl rolled her eyes, almost sure she was about to hear the line about how he couldn't because they were in public and it would ruin the precious 'image' he was expected to set. It would only be the fifty millionth time she'd heard it and it was so stupid! I mean gosh! Would a guy showing his sister a bit of love every once in a while really be the end of the world? Why did SOLDIER's seem to act like it was a crime to have a heart at times?

To her surprise and elation however Sephiroth decided not to be a sour Steve for once and turned his hands over down by his sides in the smallest of movements to face his palms up to the sky.

Yay!

Excitedly she leapt into his invitation to hug him, throwing her arms around his neck and using him like a jungle gym to dangle her feet in the air and give him the most enthusiastic cuddle in the world. If it was anyone else she would have been worried about being a heavy lump but she knew her super strong big brother was capable of carrying a hundred fully grown Elphadunks if he wanted to. He supported her weight effortlessly and while he gingerly placed his gloved hands flat against her back, she took the sneaky opportunity to brush the side of her face against his silky long silver hair that had a softness she envied.

"Oi squirt. Do you plan on keeping me waiting much longer?"

Just as Aerith's cheeks had begun to stop hurting from all the wide smiling she was doing they began to ache all over again.

"ANGEAL!"

She dropped out of Seph's hold who she had probably just deafened with her high pitched squawk and bounded over to strangle both her arms around the tall black haired SOLDIER's wide neck as he continued to sit looking down at his paper. Wrapping him in her 'death-grip' Aerith squeezed and squeezed as hard as she possibly could, determined that she was going to get a reaction this time and impress him with her strength. But as always he sat there looking totally unaffected as if she was the exact same eight year old child who had tried to ambush him all those years ago. She was nearly sixteen now! He was totally faking it.

"And who's little noodle arms are those?"

"Mine!" Aerith laughed loudly like she always did since she was a little girl.

"Hey Aery Fairy. Been good?"

Angeal leaned back in his seat and put a hand up behind him to return the hug with one arm and as he did so Aerith noticed he had a deep red scratch mark along the underside of his arm that had to of been fairly serious if even his Mako hadn't fully taken care of it yet.

"Good by normal people's standards, probably not by Seph's" Aerith replied and they shared a chuckle together, then she poked his bicep, "and I'll be taking a look at that later"

Angeal waved the back of his hand against her face in a 'whateverish' fashion and Aerith flicked the back of his broad shoulders for trying to act macho and then kissed his cheek.

Sephiroth watched the exchange between his best friend and as good as adopted sister fondly but then he rolled his eyes again when Genesis coincidentally began slurping his Banora apple juice through a straw loudly just as Aerith kissed Angeal's cheek. The man-child was such an attention seeking little bit...

"GENESIS! All three of my favourite people in the whole wide world are back! I feel like the luckiest girl in the world!"

Aerith skipped around the table and placed a kiss equal to the one she gave Angeal on the side of the unmoving but quite obviously waiting for it SOLDIER's face. Genesis smirked, he thought he was so clever and subtle.

"So how was it out there? I do worry about you guys when you're gone for such a long time"

Genesis arched his back and stretched his arms overhead lazily to link his hands behind his head.

"It's war. You've either got what it takes to survive or you don't"

Angeal snorted loudly into his newspaper and Sephiroth just snorted, apparently they were at war with the Kimara bugs now.

"You're all so brave" Aerith remarked sincerely as she walked around and stole the seat next to Angeal and opposite Genesis that Sephiroth was finally about to sit it. "I wish I was as brave as you guys"

Sephiroth took his tray of stuff that resembled food back off the table in front of Aerith who looked up at him apologetically and went around to sit on the other side.

"Well... some of us are brave, these two are just stupid" Angeal casually remarked into his paper.

A packet of table salt thrown by Genesis bounced of the man's head and Sephiroth glared from the crown of Angeal's head to look down at the auburn haired man sitting opposite his sister.

"Budge over"

Genesis looked up at him blankly, "there's a seat right…"

"Scooch" Sephiroth grit through his teeth and the walking fire hazard shuffled over in irritation.

"Oooh that reminds me Gen" Aerith chirped and pulled her school bag up onto the table, tucking a lock of pretty fallen curls back to join the long twist of hair spiralling down to her waist as she riffled through its contents.

"I read all of the Loveless you gave me while you were away!" she found and placed said book delicately on the table like it was the Holy Grail. "It was amazing! I especially like the part about the hero of the dawn the most, even though it's so sad. To surrender everything you have to save a world that cannot understand that that is what you are doing and will only hate you for your sacrifice. It's so sad... but it's also really beautiful"

Genesis who was sipping on his drink again, lifted his head slowly in undisguised shock, taking the straw in his mouth with him and accidentally flicking Banora apple juice at the man sat opposite him as it left the carton.

"OI!"

"It… it is one of my most preferred acts also… hero of the dawn, healer of worlds. Dreams of the morrow hath shattered the soul. Pride is lost. Wings stripped away, the end is nigh…"

"Oh Aerith… you don't realize what you've gone and done …" Angeal huffed wiping his eye. "Now we're gonna hear nothing but this drivel out of him for weeks"

Genesis looked up venomously from the book he had practically dived over the table to quote beside Aerith but she hushed the mans rising anger down and patted Genesis on the arm lightly. "Don't you listen to these big meanies. I think it's wonderful that you're so passionate about something, something that isn't just chopping of monster heads"

From the look on Genesis' face, Sephiroth was sure the man was about to declare his undying love for Aerith then and there.

The pair began delving into a Loveless-centric discussion with one another across the table from him and despite his aversion to the piece, Sephiroth strangely found himself absently putting his fork down again. He never thought he would willingly focus on any conversation regarding that infernal literature, but as the bubbly and energetic girl so full of life chattered away about it happily with an ecstatic Genesis, he listened in intently.

It was Aerith's sweet and cheerful nature, it was always so addictive to watch and Sephiroth always realized it that much more after spending time away from her. She was a breath of fresh air around the place and it reflected in how popular and well known she was around the building, even throughout the barracks. It made him feel lucky and somewhat proud that he had somehow earned such a high place in this girls affections. More than anything though, she made him feel deeply glad to be back again and as Aerith's sparkling emerald eyes looked up from Genesis' personal copy of Loveless to briefly catch his gaze, they shared a private smile together. It was his most favourite look in the world and Sephiroth remained convinced that the theory he'd had since he was a child was real. Some kind of magical Cetra powers made it impossible not to love Aerith.


	4. Chapter 4

**Hey guys! Thanks for the reviews guys I love them! And Chrono, it is definitely strange that you want to try out some of Seph's artificial lab meatloaf lol :D**

**I hope you enjoy, it is definitely a long chapter and will be the longest they ever get in this fic hopefully. This one is 4.5k words, my plan is to keep them down around 3.5k but eh! Once I get caught up in the flow of writing I tend to lose track haha.**

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The long continuous scream of Aerith's 5.15 AM alarm begrudgingly kicked the teenage girl from her sleep with a sharp uncomfortable noise that made her groan to life in irritation. Rolling limply onto her back she wriggled an arm out of her tightly wrapped covers to blindly swat the noise away but to the human caterpillars despair the snooze button didn't work. Of course it never worked, it hadn't worked in over a year now and the once soft and pleasant beep of the alarm had turned into a hideous screech even longer since. It was during snuggly warm moments like this that Aerith asked herself why she kept the damned thing, then when she groggily sat up and turned on the bedside lamp she was immediately reminded why. The cheery smile of the happy pink moogle clock made the slightly blinded girl grin back. It was the kind of alarm clock that nearly every female on Gaia had at some point had in her life, 'some point' probably being around five or six. She on the other hand had got it as present from an anxious Sephiroth on her twelfth birthday.

An audible laugh escaped Aerith's husky throat, Seph had always been completely hopeless at that kind of thing despite his best efforts, but it was cute and no matter how broken he got she couldn't possibly throw Gary away.

_Thump! Thump! Thump!_

_"Turn it off already you ditz!"_

"Sorry!"

Aerith bolted alert at the sound of Lacey, her dorm room neighbor, shouting angrily through the wall and she leaned over to bang the alarm clock moogle's head on the bedside table as it was the only way to turn the ancient device off anymore. In a strange way that was a good thing. It forced a former snooze button abuser to get up on time at the dark early hours of the morning so that she wasn't late for practice, a discipline that was always far more difficult to obey when she had to train alone. But training was training and she had to work extra hard while her mentor was away so that she could impress him with her progress when he returned.

That's when it hit her, Sephiroth wasn't away anymore! He was back and for the first time in ages she wouldn't be training alone today! Aerith clutched the covers excitedly, he would be waiting for her at 5.30AM on the dot over at the B wing intersection that lead to the training hall!

She looked at Gary.

5.18AM

_Crap!_

Leaping out of bed Aerith's feet hit cold marble floor and she rushed over to turn her bedroom light on, cursing meekly as the bed post decided to be a git this morning and jump in her way to smash against her hip bone as she passed. Limping the rest of the way the room was quickly illuminated and Aerith's turquoise nightdress was hoisted overhead and discarded carelessly across the room. Hobbling to her wardrobe she closed the slightly ajar door and pulled down the side of her knickers to observe her hip in the full length mirror and shake her head at the beginnings of a new bruise. Then Aerith just shook her head at everything, briefly taking the opportunity to step back and look up and down the length of her bare body with a sigh.

She felt like a girl.

All the other females in her classes and dorm were in their early to mid-twenties and were all so much more 'womanly' than her. Aerith eyed the meager curves of her own body critically, wondering sourly when it was going to be her turn to become shapely and capable of impressing anyone. Perhaps in three weeks from now when she went to bed she would wake up on the morning of her sixteenth birthday transformed like a beautiful swan princess? A girl could wish.

Silently reprimanding herself for letting her mind relapse into silly trivial thoughts when Gary was ticking against her, Aerith threw open the wardrobe doors and reached straight for the second draw of the built in unit. Pulling out a black sports bra she secured her chest tightly, changed her underwear, then pulled out a pair of black lycra trousers and a comfortable plain white training vest. She needed to be able to move quickly and freely.

A sudden burst of excitement filled the girls lungs as she hopped the gym pants up over her thighs and backside. Seph was going to be so impressed with her and with a bit of luck she might even catch him off guard enough so that he was the one landing square on his butt for once. Aerith indulged in a small giggle at the ridiculous thought as she roped her crazy hair back into its waist length twist and slid her toes into heavy black combat boots stationed at the door. She really wished that she had remembered Sephy was back and got up earlier so she could make herself look a bit more presentable.

_Oh well it's too late for that now_ she mused, grabbing her wrist wraps and PHS off the lightly decorated shelf nearest the door and dashing from the room.

As long as she wasn't late that was the main thing. Twenty laps of the training yard was the last thing she fancied first thing in the morning, even if her mentors SOLDIER's did all get fifty.

* * *

Aerith frowned as she arrived breathlessly at the B wing intersection to find the entire corridor deserted and that Sephiroth wasn't anywhere to be found. Miraculously she wasn't late and of course he couldn't be late either, Seph was never late for anything and after five minutes of extra waiting around she decided to go look for him in the first most obvious place that he could be.

Catching the elevator along floor twenty-seven she rode the metal cage up nine more levels, rubbing her hands against her bare arms that were covered in goose bumps, half wishing that she was in the middle of those twenty laps now. Arriving at her desired level she fled from the freezing cold contraption to traverse more spacious but equally as empty halls with the only sign of life she came across being the janitor on the back-end of a night-shift.

"Hey Giles, you haven't seen Seph about by any chance have you?"

A gruff angry old face popped out from behind the cleaning cupboard it was buried in, saw her and transitioned into a toothy smile.

"Wee'I dare'nay see neighbody oah 'ere, boo I 'ear 'em tottin' aboits"

_Well I haven't seen anybody over here, but I heard them walking about_

It had taken Aerith years to learn apparent ex-Mideel navy officer turned janitor speak.

"Thanks Giles"

"Ooheys'a plooshere ma doolin"

She smiled kindly but then scowled moodily once she had passed the old sweetheart, stomping the rest of the way way towards Sephiroth's office. Only one person would be up here this early in the morning, and to think of the cheek he often had at lecturing her about not being where she was meant to on time! Well... she was going to tell him precisely what she thought about that!

Twisting the crystal-glass handle she flung the heavy white door open with as much gusto as she could and stormed uninvited into the brightly lit and spacious environment that was the hypocrites office. An expensive wide chrome desk stood thickly on the far end of the room with large city view windows and the down-turned silver crown of a man's head behind it. Sephiroth was scribbling away studiously beside a thick wad of paperwork and even though his enhanced hearing must have picked up on her approach from at least half-way back down the corridor, he still didn't look up from his desk which ticked her off even more.

"And why aren't you down waiting for me in B wing huh!?"

Sephiroth's pen ceased it's diligent scratching.

"I suppose you've completely forgotten about me haven't you!? After all the fun you had while you were away and all the new exciting people you got to meet! No time for boring old Aerith anymore!"

Sephiroth cooly placed down his pompously prestige pen to glance up at her and was about to speak but she wasn't done yet and stepped closer towards his desk, as close as she physically could with her arms folded tightly.

"And I don't suppose you're going to be made to go out and run a bazillion laps of the freezing cold yard now as punishment are you Mr high and mighty!? I don't suppose you've been looking forward to our training for weeks and weeks and walked into a bedpost at the crack of dawn in a rush just to see me!"

Aerith's voice and breathing was becoming ragged now and Minerva only knew why she was getting so upset because she sure didn't. He had never missed training before so this was all new.

"Aerith" he spoke in a soft but firm tone of voice.

"No Seph! This is our time together! Me and you! You could have at least told me you weren't coming instead of le…"

"I did"

Aerith stopped yelling and inhaled deeply, finding she was in dire need of oxygen.

"…?"

"I messaged you"

Sephiroth sat forward at his desk, linking his fingers together and resting his forearms delicately in front of him while indicating his eyes to her pocket.

Aerith floundered slightly, she had checked her phone she was sure of it.

"No you didn't!" she blurted out her defense adamantly.

A pair of eyebrows above a set of intense mako infused eyes were lifted at her.

"I looked! You didn't send…"

Looking at her PHS frantically the Cetra girl's voice cut off and her cheeks flushed when the sight of 1 unread message was there to greet her mockingly. She opened it.

_Hi. Sephiroth here. I will be unable to attend training tomorrow, a last minute pressing request has been made by the science department to receive a copy of my latest mission report on the Condor assignment. Quite why I do not know. Perhaps Hojo wishes to know exactly how many of his family members I have killed. LOL :)_

Aerith swallowed the lump in her throat along with her pride.

"Oh… Seph… I'm sorry" she mumbled sincerely down at the device, feeling incredibly dumb and embarrassed now.

Sephiroth reclined lightly in his seat, staring up at her with a glint of amusement in his eye and she shrugged sheepishly.

"At least you used 'lol' in the right context this time... that's a first"

Sephiroth nodded his head but still didn't speak making Aerith drop her gaze again and pick at the stretchy material of her trousers. He was doing that analyzing thing on her again.

"So… you're really not going to be able to make it today?", emerald eyes lifted hopefully.

He shook his head apologetically and Aerith cringed at the sharp prod of disappointment she felt twist in her gut.

"I'm afraid this request is rather out of the ordinary but I assure you I have voiced my disapproval on the matter. This will not become a regular occurrence. I promise"

She nodded, trying to appear somewhat cheerful.

"Ok yeah, it's good you told them, don't let them work you into the ground. So ummm... I guess I'll go train on my own then"

He didn't respond and turning her back to leave Aerith threw him an unsure little wave goodbye then made for the door.

"Wait"

She glanced back questioningly and saw Seph stand behind his desk assertively.

"Let's go train"

He pieced his papers together, opened one of the many desk drawers to place them inside and closed it shut firmly. A smile played across her lips momentarily but she quickly dismissed it away, knowing it was selfish to guilt trip him away from his job.

"No Seph, don't be silly, you should carry on..."

"Too late. They're in the special drawer now"

Aerith chuckled as the tall SOLDIER who towered an easy foot above her stalked regally around from behind his desk.

"Well get them back out of the 'special' drawer then"

"I'm afraid the special drawer does not work that way"

The somehow always immaculately presented SOLDIER swept passed her in long legged strides, the tails of his long black coat struggling to keep up with him as he marched for the door.

Aerith's insides glowed warmly, how could she have ever accused him of not caring? That was so stupid. No one cared more than Seph did… despite how he might try to pretend otherwise at times.

"Aerith, unless you want to do those laps around the yard I strongly advise that you keep up"

Like a rocket she skittered out the door after him happily and half walked half jogged down the corridor to keep pace beside him.

"So, you have maintained your training while I was away?"

Aerith nodded eagerly and watching his arms swing in synch with his stride, she timed it just right to catch his hand mid flight and link her fingers firmly into his.

"I finally got up to 40 strikes a minute Sephy!"

He glanced sidelong at her looking genuinely impressed which was sweet considering he nearly held the world record at 226.

"Truly?"

"Yep" she squeaked excitedly. Nothing felt better than Seph's approval and that was only half of what she had learned! The rest she would keep as a sneaky surprise for later.

"Impressive, most well trained cadets cannot achieve that level of accuracy and speed with sword"

"Most cadets don't have you as their teacher" she affectionately squeezed his arm close, silently thanking him for the compliment and for ditching work for her.

"And how about your studies?"

Aerith perked up even more enthusiastically, if that was even possible.

"Well! Samantha finally found out about what Lorna did with her boyfriend at the med annuals and called her a bitch right in the middle of class. It got pretty crazy"

He looked down at the cheery girl bouncing alongside him with a small incredulous smirk. Aerith always did seem to interpret 'how are your studies going?' as 'so what's the latest gossip and drama among your fellow colleagues?', which was strange considering how often she claimed to be an outcast from the other women.

"Personally I'm just glad I don't have to keep it a secret anymore"

Oh yes, the great secret, he remembered the day well that Aerith came to him for advice on that one. It hadn't gone so well.

"And then! Lacey came out and told everyone that Sam deserved it for messing with Lorna's old boyfriend first!"

"That's… terrible?"

"That's exactly what I thought!"

Sephiroth mentally patted himself on the back victoriously.

"Oh and then there's been the news about the woman in prosthetics! She's been in a really really bad state all week so if you see a tall blond women crying in the halls don't be mean ok?"

Sephiroth frowned, when was he ever 'mean'?

"Ummm ok"

"I feel bad for her, I think I might try to talk to her"

"What is the matter with her?" Sephiroth humored the girl, his query about the her educational progress becoming nothing more than a distant memory now.

"Her sister went missing about a week ago, they reckon she wondered off into the slums on her own. She's only nine. Tabby said she's most likely dead by now which Eva overheard and kicked off at her about it, saying she was out of order for saying that and then they argued. That's actually how the whole secret came out about Lorna kissing Sam's boyfriend"

"But I thought you were the only one who saw that?" Sephiroth asked in genuine curiosity, making a mental note to familiarize himself with the details of this lost girl some time.

"Well so did I! But as it turns out Lorraine caught them in the bathroom later on doing the exact same thing during Professor Hollander's never ending speech about G-cell superiority. Then Lorraine told Martin who obviously told Tabby who then told Lacey who had to tell…"

Sephiroth followed the long chain of who told who closely, knowing that if he lost track or focus for a second his brain would turn to mush shortly after. It was frivolous nonsense that a man of his authority who was expected to one day rise to the position of general could not be seen indulging in. Aerith on the other hand was one of the few people in his life who existed outside of these boundaries and he always listened keenly when she provided him with this type of insight into 'normal' human interactions and complex social situations. It was actually rather intriguing and in many ways it benefited him greatly. If he was to become general, social competency would become a necessity and as they made their way down to the practice hall together, Sephiroth wondered if Aerith knew that the teacher-pupil relationship was working in both directions.

* * *

With the force of his unrelenting strength slowly bearing down on her arms, Aerith grit her teeth and she knew she had to break away from Sephiroth's blade soon. Like her mentor always said, trying to hold your ground against someone stronger than you was a dead mans strategy.

Dropping deftly to the ground she curved his blade away and broke into a floor roll to disengage. Successfully gaining some distance she dashed away, looking for a chance to escape and reengage on her own terms but Sephiroth stayed close on her heels, keeping the pressure on her to see if she would break. He never ran, even when she moved at a sprint because he didn't need to, Seph had this way of being freakishly fast even when he walked and having that right on your tail was a lot scarier than you might think.

Keeping her nerve she quickly changed direction and spun back in with a high slash towards his neck but his sword met it with graceful ease. She hacked low, he blocked low. She cut for his middle, he parried her off to the side. She stabbed back in to try and catch him before he could recover, Sephiroth always recovered. She swung at him in quick succession regardless. Keep him blocking, never attacking. Steel clashed hard on steel. He observed her movements, she gave him everything she had. Sweat beaded across her face. Now stay focused, keep breathing. There was only one way this could end, one of them on their back and today it would be him.

She struck at Sephiroth a few more times until the first opportunity for him to attack her back presented itself. Aerith stayed light and nimble on her feet, ready for whatever strike he might use with the dull three foot training blade they each used but His foot came up instead and a heavy black boot was kicked mercifully into her center of gravity sending her stumbling back. Damn it the boot! It was always the boot that got her! Fortunately she managed to stay on her feet this time.

_A skilled enemy attacks with more than just their sword_

Aerith could almost hear his voice saying it in her head now and just as she regained her footing, Sephiroth practically teleported the distance between them to shoulder barge her off her feet. For once she was ready for it and dived clear, tumbling 360 degrees straight up onto haunches and looking back. He looked impressed. Now she would show him just how skilled an enemy she was.

Running for the far wall Seph was in pursuit again, he would think this was another cat and mouse chase in which she was the prey, he would never suspect that she was luring him into a trap. This was it, the moment she had practiced hard for over the last couple of weeks, this was what was going to put his butt to the ground at long last and earn his maximum admiration.

Sprinting head-long towards the concrete wall Aerith braced her oxygen and mere moments before collision she swung her weight back with as much momentum and speed as she could. One foot hit brick, then the second, now it was time to push off. The fifteen year old Cetra girl flipped herself away from the wall and caught a satisfying glimpse of an upside down startled looking face. It was a split second of distraction that was enough to make her lose concentration. She snapped her foot around just liked she had practiced to try and deliver a powerful kick against Sephiroth's chest but now her timing was off and she drove the force of her leg straight into the sword he held at waist height.

Luckily for her the training blade was dull enough that it didn't take her leg clean off, unluckily however the edge was still sharp enough that a wave of pain erupted across her left shin and she was thrown in a yelping heap to the floor.

"AERITH!"

"Ow ow ow ow ow"

She heard Sephiroth's sword clatter loudly across the floor as it was thrown away and Aerith felt two strong hands flip her over to look up through tear pricked eyes at the most terrified face she had ever seen.

"Oh shit! Oh shit! Oh fuck!"

A gasp and a heavy flutter trembled in the pit of her stomach, she had never heard him swear or sound so scared before and as he reached down to her searing leg she instinctively placed her hand against his arm.

"Hey... it's alright"

"What was that!?" he barked angrily, suddenly surprising her and making her hand recoil away.

"It... was in the book you gave me"

"You did not tell me you were going to do that! Nor did I give you permission to attempt such a thing!"

"I wanted to surprise you with it"

Now real tears began to well up in her eyes, she had worked so hard only to make him mad at her.

"You can't just jump to the back of a martial arts book and try advanced move-sets like that Aerith! It's dangerous!"

"I didn't mean…"

She hissed sharply through her teeth as Sephiroth loudly ripped the material of her trousers at the leg, sending another wave of pain through her and for the first time she looked down at her injury. A pretty deep gash about five inches long traveled up her now completely exposed shin and her eyes widened at the amount of blood that was gently pouring out and beginning spill onto the floor. Nurse in training or not, Aerith did not do blood.

"Oh… ah… I'm... I'm gonna be sick"

The teenage girls view of her leg was suddenly obstructed as Sephiroth shifted to lean his body over her and block it from her view.

"We need to get you to a doctor"

Aerith's senses were extremely dizzy by this point but an audible gasp escaped her as strong arms snaked their way under her legs and around her back and she was lifted up into the air. The ache in her leg erupted in inflamed nerves and she clutched her hands to his jacket fiercly but it was soon forgotten about it again. He was carrying her and it felt nice, it even made the pain subside but he wasn't looking at her and that was distressing, she couldn't handle him being angry at her.

"Seph please... I'm sorry..."

Marching for the door the SOLDIER looked down at the girl in his arms whose eyes were stretched up at him pleadingly and swirling in genuine upset and pain making him grip the girls slight frame closer to him. She seemed so tiny and felt so fragile that a pang of guilt etched its way in and his anger dissipated.

Was it his fault that she had felt the need to push herself beyond her limits? Perhaps he was too tough on her and placed too much expectation on her? He sighed, was this a reflection on his incompetency as a teacher to show proper recognition and praise?

"Do not apologize, your performance, while dangerous, was exceptional. You are becoming an extremely competent fighter and have demonstrated to me that you are ready to learn more". Sephiroth softened his voice when he realized he was still speaking as if he was talking to one of his SOLDIER's and not his little sister, "plus you did a backflip… that was awesome"

His words earned him a small smile from her lips but as he got over to the door it changed dramatically and he felt her body tense with a jolt in his hands.

"Wait! No I don't want to go to a doctor"

Sephiroth froze and snapped his eyes sharply onto Aerith's as a torrent of cold dread washed over him. There had been fear in her voice, a definite edge of apprehension and for the second time today he felt terrified but tried to remain calm.

"Aerith... why don't you want to go to the doctor?"

She squirmed in his arms and under his gaze, she was about to try and lie to him.

"No reason. I just don't want to"

Sephiroth burned his eyes into her, his tone sternly warning her about trying to lie to him.

"Aerith"

"Look the science department will find out ok! And then I'll have to go there and they'll just make a fuss over nothing"

Closer but he still wasn't convinced. While neither of them enjoyed attending their mandatory visits to that hellish department, she hadn't been scared about going there since she was a young child.

"Aerith if they're doing anything new to you, you have to tell me, you promised you would always tell me"

"They're not doing anything! Seriously can we not do this while I'm bleeding all over the place!?"

Aerith despised lying to him and a lie it was. Hojo's tests were starting to become increasingly unpleasant along with his constant hateful remarks that for some reason she wasn't sixteen yet. The truth was she was scared about going there now but she didn't want Sephiroth to know because he would only worry, or worse, get himself in trouble on her behalf.

"Please Seph! Just take me back to your place to heal up. I know you keep cure materia in the masamune"

Sephiroth tensed that she knew that, had she been touching his sword?

"How do you know that?"

"Gaia not now! This really hurts! There's no need to be embarrassed that you have cure materia! Jeez I'll heal myself if you're going to be such a guy about it!"

"Ok ok! We'll go to my place!"

Sephiroth awkwardly extended the hand out holding Aerith's legs and wrenched open the training hall door, setting a swift and direct path back to his apartment.

"But I'm healing you, attempting advanced martial arts was enough for one day, I'm not letting you maim yourself with advanced magic as well"

"It's only cure 3"

"And your only halfway through your cure 2 curriculum young lady"

Sephiroth grinned down at Aerith's surprised expression.

"Well I had to find out how your studies were going somehow between all the tales of Sam and Lorna and who's boyfriend was stolen by who"

Aerith winced in discomfort from her injury then pouted at him.

"You know Seph, if you hadn't just tried to cut my leg off I would have thought that was really sweet"


	5. Chapter 5

**Afternoon from merry England all!**

**Chapter 5 has landed! For any/all of my 'Fearing the 1st' readers, the next chapter I will be posting will be chapter 40 for that fic which I hope to have out in a couple of days :).**

**Big thanks to my latest reviewers!**

**Chrono your reviews never cease to make me crack up lolz :D**

**Ocena Strex, your review was really awesome! I was so happy with it as all the things you say about the current Seph/Aerith relationship is exactly how I was hoping it would be recieved. I was also really aiming to show Aerith's younger girlier/teenage side and your review made me feel like I accomplished that so thankyou!**

**Moosh! Oh wonderful Moosh! I hope I have pm'd you about your latest review (I lose track HAHA). After writing and reading this chapter 2-3 times I started realizing just how similar the first part is to the first chapter of "Like A Moth To A Flame" (which for anyone who hasn't read it, you must!). What can I say? your writing inspires me and I think we have that subconcious writers mind synch going on! Lol I wish!**

**Anyway I hope you all enjoy and please leave me your thoughts and opinions!**

* * *

Genesis wanted to skip, he wanted to sing and laugh and dance. Hell he was so happy right now he even wanted to grab that little cadet over there who was pressing his terrified back against the corridor wall in a desperate attempt to avoid him and kiss the little bastard. Of course he wouldn't actually do any of those things, he had a reputation to uphold, a reputation that was now set to climb to even greater heights!

Oh screw it! One little hug wouldn't hurt!

Unable to contain his excitement any longer, Genesis plucked the petrified kid off the ground and swung him around like a squawking ragdoll.

"There is no hate only joy! For you are beloved by the goddess!"

"HELP ME! HELP! HELLLLP HE'S KILLING ME!"

Chuckling gleefully Genesis set the screaming boy down and patted him fondly on the head making the cadet recoil sharply into the wall with a loud yelp and scamper away as fast as he could wailing. Genesis thought it was a bit of an over exaggeration and he would have frowned at the boys reaction if he wasn't so damn happy, the kid had acted more as if he had burned him than hugged him. The crimson SOLDIER shook his head in amusement then turned to see a corridor of mortified looking people, frozen and gawking wordlessly in his direction.

Silly people, couldn't they see he was being friendly? Couldn't they see he was walking on cloud nine?

Laughing again and filled with the rare urge to be friendly to the world Genesis waved to his paranoid colleagues with a still hand but to his alarm everything erupted into sudden chaos and the corridor began to empty with a haste that not even he had seen before. People tripped and fell, ducked and dived and dashed around corners in a loud panic to escape, he even saw one young cadet in the distance climb into his locker and shut himself in.

Now Genesis really did frown but quickly realized the source of everyone's terror when he caught a flicker from the corner of his eye and saw that his hand that was suspended in mid-air was engulfed in a thin layer of flames. He was inadvertently channelling the power of the materia junctioned in the bracer at his wrist and was quite literally burning with excitement without realising it.

Genesis rapidly shook his hand out and looked back down the now empty corridor in the direction that the cadet had run off in that he had just thoroughly abused.

_Oops…_

Hurrying away from the scene of the crime that Lazard was undoubtedly going to give him a good bollocking about later, Genesis shrugged his shoulders and merrily went to summon the elevator to come do his bidding. Nothing could shatter his happy mood today. Not Lazard, not burned cadets ratting on him, not even the small office lift who's doors took an age to open and played the same 'Costa De Sol'esque' tune over and over in one continuous loop.

Genesis stepped in after waiting for an eternity for the lift to arrive and pressed for his desired level then went to lean against the back wall patiently, grinning briefly at the scorch marks that tarnished the upper left corner of the small box where the old speaker used to be.

Such anger, oh how foreign it seemed to him right now.

Setting his head back with a peaceful content smile, the second class SOLDIER closed his eyes and felt his mind begin to drift and his body begin to tilt from side to side rhythmically as he was carried upwards. You know now he thought about it, he really didn't give this song enough credit.

Suddenly Genesis' daydream of being sat on a nice, warm, empty beach with nothing but the sea, the sun and his limited edition copy of Loveless in hand came to an abrupt halt as the elevator jolted to a stop. He snapped one eye open, there was no way he had travelled 16 levels in the worlds slowest elevator that quickly.

As the doors slid open in painstakingly slow motion, Genesis opened and rolled both his eyes at the sight of the miserable wretch who had delayed his journey. Why her? Of all the people in the world why did it have to be her? Why did he have to have his buzz killed by the companies most notorious buzz kill?

Genesis begrudgingly stood upright and distastefully observed the tall, strawberry-blonde haired doctor who was standing motionlessly in the doorway, staring off into space with downcast exhausted eyes and hugging an armful of files lifelessly.

She looked terrible. Her reddish-golden hair was messily thrown together in a high spread ponytail that looked as if it had been constructed by a toddler, her baggy white lab coat was hideously creased and hung unflatteringly tent-like over her slim frame and she wore a knee length black skirt that... well the skirt wasn't too bad. A jet black C.G. Clements with a delicate stretch, a month left in season and an elegant cut that travelled up into long slender legs in the perfect balance between prude and tramp.

Still... besides the skirt she looked terrible.

The defensively withdrawn looking book-worm looked like she hadn't slept in years or seen the sun even longer since and Genesis had seen her moping around in the halls long enough to know that she was losing weight. She was the women who could often be found crying alone in a corner somewhere about her 9 year old sister who had gone missing nearly three weeks ago after wandering off into the slums never to be seen again. In Genesis' mind the child's fate was obvious by this point and whenever he caught a depressing glimpse of the doctor, a strong part of him wanted to yell at the women just to get over it already. Of course not even he was that heartless to actually say it, but he certainly wouldn't object if someone else did.

"Are you getting in or not!?" he snapped angrily as the young women who must have been in her very early twenties continued to gaze distantly at the ground.

His bark made the zoned out medical geek jump violently and the majority of the documents she hugged protectively, slipped from between her arms and cascaded to the floor in a messy shower of paper.

Genesis groaned and growled simultaneously, it would seem his belief that 'nothing' could shatter his happy mood was proving to be a very sorely mistaken assumption.

"For the love of the goddess! Pull yourself together women!"

Now Genesis was expecting many things. Weeping, a yelp of terror, more zombie-like depression. What he wasn't expecting from the long-legged, teary eyed doctor scrabbling around on her hands and knees, was for her teal green eyes to lock up onto his venomously and shoot him with the most scathing look he had seen since the day he switched Sephiroth's shampoo for scented toilet gel.

"DO YOU REALLY THINK I NEED ANOTHER PERSON TELLING ME THAT!?"

The enraged women stood up on fairly high heels and squared directly up to a surprised Genesis who tried to take a retreating step away but realized his back was still already up against the wall.

"DO YOU THINK I DON'T KNOW HOW I LOOK OR WHAT PEOPLE ARE SAYING ABOUT ME YOU JERK!?"

The crimson SOLDIER stood speechlessly as the front of his jacket was prodded numerous times with a firm finger. What in the fuck was happening right now?

"I KNOW OK! I KNOW WHAT YOU ALL THINK AND I KNOW WHAT YOU ALL SAY!... AND!… AND THE LAST THING I NEED RIGHT NOW IS A BULLY LIKE YOU GENESIS RHAPSODOS TO TRY AND PUSH ME AROUND!"

Recovering somewhat Genesis folded his arms and smirked proudly. So she knew his name.

His grin did not go down well with the lunatic and she stepped threateningly closer into a proximity that was uncomfortably invading his personal space, glaring at him as if she was awaiting some kind of response.

_At least she smells nicer than she looks. _

That was all his liquefied brain could think about while she stared him down intensely.

Now Genesis had never been tongue tied or lost for words before, but neither had he been held hostage in a lift by a hysterical girl who had to be at least 20 times weaker than he was. It was an exceptionally surreal and awkward experience and when all he could do was maintain the smug expression disguising his growing discomfort, the women shook her head and a long tear fell from behind oval-shaped spectacles to snake down one pale cheek.

"... you SOLDIER's... you're never going to help me find Shelke… you're all the same… you're all heartless bastards!"

The baffled auburn-haired man found his voice and was on the verge of making a snide retort to that ridiculous statement. However before he could make it the unhinged doctor turned and fled the elevator in a noisy clattering of heels, leaving her paperwork that was jamming the door open littered across the ground.

"Loopy cow" Genesis mumbled stroppily, but not before he leaned out of the lift to check the women was indeed gone and out of ear shot.

Wishing to continue his journey the SOLDIER was left with no choice but to pick up the mess the emotional wreck had selfishly created and he did so roughly, taking every opportunity to scrunch and crinkle the pages in his hand as he went.

How dare she speak to him that way! Did she even have the faintest idea who he was or who he was about to become!?

Genesis angrily pieced the documents together and glared at the name written neatly across the bottom of a generic looking medical report on the front page. Missing sister or not, this so called 'Shalua Rui' would learn that here in Shinra there was a hierarchy in place, a food chain to be obeyed that he was soon to be bumped straight to the top of.

Him the same as everyone else? It would be laughable if he gave the slightest damn what some pitiful little boffin thought about him.

Steely eyes watching as the doors slid sluggishly shut he huffed a laugh. Then channelling an inferno in the palm of his hand Genesis looked up at the speaker in the corner of the small box that was playing that god forsaken tune.

* * *

Angeal slunk further down into the comfortable office sofa and rolled his head sideways against the sleek white leather furniture to eye Sephiroth who was reclining equally as casually behind his desk.

"I hate to say it Seph, but I hardly think 'because it would be so much fun' would constitute as a valid enough reason to spend 128 million gil of company money"

"But it would be" Sephiroth grinned, flicking the small leathery-foam stress ball Aerith had once bought him over to Angeal who absently caught it with one hand.

"Well when you make it to 1st you can put your signature against that particular line, along with your neck.

Sephiroth replied to the raven-haired SOLDIER by running his eyes around his large extravagant office.

"Officially 1st I mean" Angeal emphasised.

Sephiroth caught the ball and shrugged, due to the politics of his age, his current rank was what you might call something of a 'grey' area. He was a 2nd carrying out mostly 1st class duties in a future general's office.

Yeah it confused him most of the time too.

"Well I am confident we can piece together a document that will be sufficiently long-winded enough to convince the board about all of the 'benefits' that a virtual reality training simulator would bring"

The sprawled older 1st smirked and nodded his agreement, "fine, but we're keeping Gen away from it for as long as humanly possible and only letting him in when he's in an exceptionally good mood. Heaven only knows that'll be an expensive disaster just waiting to happen otherwise"

Sephiroth lazily tossed the ball to Angeal, "agreed"

"We'll kick around some more ideas about it after Wednesday's financial. More importantly though, I hope that you have remembered that it's little Aerith's…"

"… birthday next week" Sephiroth finished, slumping his head forward on to his desk at the bleak reminder. To think it had already been an entire year since he had last felt totally incompetent.

"Present troubles again?" Angeal chuckled.

Sephiroth removed his head from the laminated glass surface and glared, every year Angeal seemed to take pleasure in this suffering.

"You've already got her something haven't you?"

A bright white smile and a thumbs up was Angeal's tormenting response and Sephiroth's insides withered in despair. He had 72 successfully completed assignments under his belt now, how was it that this still remained the most daunting mission of them all?

"Is it true that this particular turning of age bares a particular significance over the others?"

"Turning 16? Yep, it's a biggie"

Sephiroth groaned and looked to Angeal pleadingly.

"Then you must help me"

"Oh no no no, you know the rules, no helping"

Sephiroth's jaw clenched.

"Ok, how about I tell you what ideas I have thus far considered and you just tell me all the ones that are unsuitable?"

"Nope. That would be equally as dishonourable towards the spirit of gift giving"

Sephiroth groaned once again, it seemed nothing was exempt from Hewley and his damn honor, not even buying presents for young adolescent females.

"Very well. How about I tell you my ideas and you simply blink your eyes if..."

"No Seph!"

"Ugh"

"Look, you're thinking about it too hard, you always think about it too hard. Just use what's in here" Angeal bumped a closed fist to his chest then pointed to his head, "not what's up here. Believe it or not you know Aerith better than anyone and besides, even if you do cock it up, as long as it's from you and you alone she'll love it no matter what. She's a sweet girl like that"

Sephiroth scowled at the sentimental fluff and reclined back in his tall stiff leather office chair. While he couldn't deny that was true and Aerith always did show great appreciation for anything he got her, that still didn't stop him from wanting to get her something she actually liked.

"Gee you're hopeless…" Angeal droned, "fine, you want a bit of advice? Here it is. Don't get her anything pink this year"

Well that was precisely 95% of his current ideas gone in a flash.

"But I assure you it is her favourite color" he protested back somewhat dubiously.

Angeal uncrossed his leg that had been rested atop his knee and sat forward.

"Undoubtedly, but you need to understand that she's not the same small child who clung to your leg and followed you around for years Seph, she's becoming a women now, she's going to start seeing things differently"

Sephiroth sat silently taking that in for a moment. He was quite aware that she was maturing into adulthood, physically it was blindingly obvious but he had never considered that her mind might be changing as well and that worried him.

She was going to start seeing things differently? Would she start seeing him differently? Would she start seeing how undeserved and unmerited her affection towards him was?

Sephiroth was so caught up in a swirl of thoughts that the 'heads up' warning from Angeal failed to register in his brain along with the footsteps that were approaching until his office door was thrown open and Genesis was already in the room. Sephiroth wondered when he had missed the memo that knocking was no longer a thing.

Sweeping confidently into the room Genesis made an energetic entrance but then paused with a surprised stare when he noticed Angeal, then he looked between the pair of them and squinted.

"Hey are you guys hanging out without me? Where was my invite!?"

The aubern-haired SOLDIER reacted instinctively and ducked an incoming stress ball that was aimed skilfully at his head by Angeal.

"Sit down you drama queen"

"We were discussing the budget report for the upcoming quarter" Sephiroth explained with a hint of amusement.

Genesis' expression changed from a jealous smoulder to nonchalant indifference and he retired gracefully to the empty space beside Angeal.

"Oh ok. I don't care about that"

"We were also discussing, or should I say captain clueless over here was begging me to give him some ideas for Aerith's birthday" Angeal leaned over and jabbed the fashion fanatic in the arm. "Perhaps you can offer some advice Gen? You're about the closest thing we have to a sixteen year old girl around here"

A ball of conjured fire danced around playfully in the seconds open hand. "Oh how I long to incinerate you bigfoot"

A friendly smile was exchanged between the pair and then Genesis looked down at his lap deep in thought.

"So it's Aerith's birthday you say?"

"Correct. In precisely one week from tomorrow" Sephiroth urged bluntly, leaning forward towards the youngest of the trio both hopeful and doubtful at the same time.

Suddenly something seemed to click in Genesis' mind and Sephiroth tensed with anticipation, "I have the perfect idea! Why it is as if the goddess herself has aligned the planets and twisted the tendrils of fate!"

Angeal laughed and wrinkled his nose, "the tendrils of fate? You know Gen, you come out with some truly exceptional bollocks at times"

"Go on" Sephiroth interrupted curtly before a domestic could begin, "What is it? What should I get her?"

Genesis looked over at him blankly like he had just remembered he was in the room.

"Oh I wasn't talking about what 'YOU' should get her, no that my friend is like the gift of the goddess... infinite in mystery. No I was referring to what 'I' should get her, you see it was just the other day we were discussing attending a viewing of Loveless together..."

"Oh for heaven's sake Gen! You didn't did you?" Angeal moaned as he sank lower into his seat as did Sephiroth while shaking his head disapprovingly.

"What!? What are you Neanderthals grunting about!? She said she wanted to go!"

"Genesis. You know Aerith is not allowed outside. You know Hojo and the science department does not permit her to leave the grounds of the Shinra building"

Sephiroth clenched his hand resting on the laminated glass surface of his desk lightly. It made him feel uncomfortable to talk about his surrogate sister like she was a prisoner and even more uncomfortable still to use her name in the same breath as that cretinous professor.

"And?" Genesis scoffed, "Since when did we start giving a flying tonberry's ass what that greasy little chimp thought? In fact I still can't quite fathom why you have not rendered that man's head from his body as of yet"

"It's complicated" Sephiroth grit his teeth as his mood began to sour, something that never failed to happen whenever Hojo was the topic of conversation.

"I don't see how" Genesis pushed, "I would have ran that man through a thousand times over by now if I was you and he used me like a little lab-rat"

"You mean the same way Hollander uses you!?" the silver haired SOLDIER spat back making Genesis sit up rigidly.

"... that is different"

"I think it's time to get the stress ball back" Angeal mumbled and ducked out of the way of the crossfire between both men to retrieve the squeezable toy from the floor.

"Was there a particular reason why you came here Genesis?" Sephiroth ordered, firmly dismissing the current thread of conversation and indicating his eyes expectantly at the files that Genesis had carried into the room with him.

The younger second's emotions dramatically polarised and lit up brightly.

"Ahh yes! Yes I did! But not for these, no these belong to a deranged women I made cry in the elevator a minute ago"

He sighed... only Genesis.

Suddenly there was a loud high pitched noise that made Sephiroth jump and he and Angeal who was stood in the middle of the room looked at each other and frowned. The bizarre outburst had come from Genesis and it sounded like something between an over-the-top giggle and a squawk.

"What was…"

Equally as suddenly and equally as unexpectedly it came again and it made Sephiroth sit up alert. Genesis was shaking on the spot, his hands clutching the edge of the seat and smoking slightly with his mouth clamped shut like he was trying not to explode. Was he having some kind of seizure?

"Woah..." Angeal walked over and slapped a firm hand on the human volcanoes shoulder, "Gen, chill... breath... stop burning Seph's sofa"

"WE ARE BECOMING FIRSTS!"

Genesis erupted and launched from his seat to try and violently shake Angeal by the shoulders but with little success and Sephiroth stood sharply from his.

"We are becoming firsts! It's happening! IT IS FINALLY HAPPENING! Oh how long I have waited!"

Genesis leapt up onto the clean white sofa, dirtying it with his boots as he raised his arms theatrically.

"At long last I will become the crimson commander! The raging inferno! The flame of redemption! Wings of light and dark spread afar! She guides us to bliss, her gift ev...!"

"Genesis! Reality. Now" Angeal dragged the excited poet down from the couch and rooted him to the spot. "Now calmly explain in normal people language what in Gaia it is that you are going on about"

"WE ARE BECOMING FIRSTS!"

"Yes we already got that bit!" Sephiroth snapped impatiently, "but why are you saying it!? You know that will not be for at least another year"

"Do I? I don't think I do!"

Angeal's brow creased heavily.

"Seriously Gen, what are you talking about? You have to be over 21 at least for those injections… and for a bloody good reason to if you ask me. That's the minimum age, it's the law"

"Not anymore, they're lowering it! For seconds and thirds too!"

Sephiroth felt a knot twist in his stomach but it wasn't from excitement and casting his eyes to Angeal they shared a deeply disturbed glance with one another. Mako injections were incredibly dangerous and painful things and each class of SOLDIER had always had its different age restrictions. The higher the class the higher the age limit had to be as the enhancements became inevitably stronger and physically tougher to deal with. It was a long standing rule that no one under 21 could be a first, a rule that not even Sephiroth had been exempt from despite Hojo's ongoing protests.

"Genesis, how have you come about this information?" Sephiroth coolly and diplomatically inquired.

"I overheard that women Scarlett talking about it with some friend of hers. Sure she's the company bike and all but don't forget she is the assistant head of weapons executive and has her claws in enough people to know about this kind of thing. It's legit I'm telling you. I heard it all… too much in fact. She was rather… 'graphic' in explaining how she went about acquiring the information…"

Sephiroth cringed, while it wasn't the most solid of sources it was as good as any. It was common knowledge that the repulsive women who was hell bent on sleeping her way to the top was having intimate relations with the current head of weapons director who would be privy to such knowledge. Regardless, he would have to get a definitive answer for himself.

"Seriously, what's with the faces? Are you guys not hearing me! WE ARE BECOMING FIRSTS!"

Angeal who's expression had turned into something just shy of rage marched sternly over to Sephiroth's desk, grabbed the newspaper that had been folded there neatly since this morning and hurled it at the confused second.

"Wake up Genesis! Shinra lowers the enhancement age brackets while our headlines look like this!? Make the damn connection for yourself!"

Genesis looked down.

_FEARS ESCALATE: Threats of a Wutai invasion looms across the western border._

"Giving kids injections that their bodies can barely cope with all because they want to start a war! This isn't something to be pleased about Genesis! It's something to be angry… hey Seph!? where are you going!?"

Sephiroth's hand was already on the handle of the door.

"To speak to the president"


	6. Chapter 6

**Hi guys and gals!**

**Not much to say but thanks to my reviewers.**

**Chrono- I am surprised but honoured that the Genesis comedy made you laugh so hard. You HAVE to link me the Sephiroth bohemian rhapsody though, I cracked up just reading about it.**

**Ocena Strex- Yay! Someone thought the mako stuff was clever! I was hoping someone would hahaha. Thanks mane!**

**Moosh- I love you, I don't feel anymore needs to be said here! :D**

**ThE 4SsAsSiN 21- An awesome sweep of reviews! I love it when I get those! I hope that you are no less engrossed in the story as you were at chapter 1, if you are I'd love to hear any constructive criticism you might have :) **

**On with the fic!**

* * *

Aerith exhaled slowly in exasperation and slumped the side of her face into her hand, the tutors voice holding the seminar becoming a wordless drone in the background as the women whispering at the back of the auditorium continued to fail at whispering. They were supposed to be the grown adults here and she the baby of the class and yet she was the one wanting to tear her hair out at as they gossiped away three rows back as if she couldn't hear them.

"I'm telling you, in two years I've never even seen him near a girl... well other than the little one. But that doesn't count, that's his sister"

"You know I heard a rumour that they aren't really related at all"

"Kinda figures, what with the silver hair an all"

"What I wouldn't give to be his fake little sister, the things I'd…"

"Sam!"

"God he's so hot"

Aerith gripped the glitzy lilac pen in her hand almost as hard as she grit her teeth. It wasn't anything new, for years Seph had had his share of girls drooling after him but for some reason, lately, it had really started getting to her. Aerith looked at the clock, she couldn't wait to get out of here.

"Midnight Kalm are playing next week, I'm gonna ask him to go with me"

_Yeah good luck with that one Sam_

"You know he's going to be general one day, there's no way he'll be seen in a place like sector 3"

_Bingo Rias!_

"We'll see"

_Just so you can make him your one millionth boyfriend this year? Over my dead body_

"Hey you should ask the little one to persuade him to go with you, he listens to her"

_No… please don't do that_

"Oh my god I love you!"

_Oh my god I hate you_

"Can you three can it! That's her brother, have some respect!"

_Thank you Lacey, you're the best dorm room neighbour in the world_

"And that is why we do not junction 'all' and 'cure' materia together in a warded environment. That's a wrap ladies"

Books closed, bags rustled and around fifty pairs of legs climbing to their feet interrupted Aerith from snapping her pen and the uncharacteristic anger that was building up inside of her fizzled away.

"Remember girls! Practical's on Friday so be sure you bring your ethers! Don't forget! That means you Claire!"

Standing up and slinging the single strap of her heavy side bag onto her shoulder, the hall emptied out in double file and Aerith joined the flowing crowd. Descending the manic corridor she walked alone as usual, ready to turn left while the rest of the crowd turned right with only the odd passing pleasantry being exchanged with a few of the girls she got on amicably with. It wasn't that the other women were hostile or excluded her because of her unnatural abilities or age, it was her own fault that she chose to hang around with SOLDIER's all the time and didn't get to know them any better.

Splitting off towards the direction of the canteen in the SOLDIER barracks, Aerith made it about fifteen paces before grimacing at the sound of her name being yelled out.

"Aerith! Wait up!"

For a second she considered carrying on walking but took a deep breath instead and turned.

"What do you want Sam?"

Aerith didn't mean to be rude, it just made her feel uncomfortable to think about Sephiroth and dating let alone to be asked to arrange it.

"I want to speak to you about your brother"

The stylish chesty brunette with bright pale hazel eyes came jogging over, surprisingly alone.

"What about him?" Aerith played dumb.

"You know I noticed that in your hair earlier in class, it's really pretty"

The undeniably gorgeous women indicated at the white materia Aerith often kept threaded in her curls as a hair accessory making the teenage girl reach up and finger it absently.

"Oh umm, thanks" she smiled unsurely, thoroughly taken off guard at the entirely unexpected and random compliment.

"So yeah anyway, by any chance do you know if Sephiroth's free next Saturday? I want to ask him out on a date"

_Wow… at least she was honest and upfront._

"I uhh… I don't really think that I'm the person to…"

"Oh he's not away doing his crazy super-SOLDIER manly stuff again is he? I thought they got back from a mission just a few weeks ago?"

"No… no he's still here" Aerith began to flounder.

_Come on! You've done this before! Stick to the script!_

"Good so he's free then? Can you ask him if he would like to go see Midnight Kalm play? They're performing at this really awesome bar in sector 3. It's real classy, not like any of these crappy run down hovels the perverts hang around in, he'd love it"

The thought of Seph being in a bar AND listening to the set of one of her favourite bands would have been hilariously amusing to her if she was in any other situation than the one she was currently in.

"The thing is it's not really his kind of thing…"

"What? Midnight Kalm? Has he heard them play before?"

Aerith started feeling panicky under her persistent fellow nurse-in-trainings interrogation.

"No.. no he hasn't"

"Great! I can introduce him to them then"

"No you can't!" she blurted out hastily.

A look of surprise flicked over Samantha's face and then to offended suspicion as the older voluptuous women placed her hands on her hips.

"And why not?"

The teenage girl felt her face begin to flush as she struggled to think up a believable reason as to why he might be busy but she was legitimately the world's worst liar.

"Because he's already going… and… and he can't go twice"

_What!? That didn't even make sense!_ Aerith wanted to repeatedly bang her head against the nearby wall.

"Really? With who!?" Sam demanded challengingly and Aerith felt her temperament suddenly switch as the woman's possessive tone of voice made her feel defensive.

"With me" she stated firmly and stubbornly placed her hands on her hips as well.

The brunettes expression dropped slightly and Aerith refrained from smirking victoriously.

"With you? But you have to be 16…"

"Yes! Yes and I'm 16 next week. That's why we're going, he's taking me for my birthday"

Her story came together almost too perfectly and it felt good to be able to stand her ground like a woman for once without feeling like a little girl.

"Oh… I see" Samantha mumbled with a look of disappointment at first but then she gave her a friendly and genuine smile that immediately made Aerith begin to feel guilty. "Thanks anyway"

"I'm sorry Sam"

Her twenty-one year old colleague shouldered her bag and waved a prettily manicured hand dismissively.

"Pfff sorry for what? It's your birthday" Aerith was quite taken aback when the women leaned in and kissed her on the cheek. "Look at you, all growing up. Happy birthday for next week babe"

Turning into a beetroot of shame Aerith looked down at her feet, she had acted like such a snappy bitch when all Sam had wanted to do is ask Seph out on a date. Why did she even oppose it? It wasn't like she didn't want him to be happy and find a nice girlfriend… though perhaps not one who had such a reputation with relationships.

"Thank you Sam"

She gave her classmate a broad smile and light hazel eyes twinkled back kindly before leaving to hurry away to catch up with whatever friends it was she spent her lunch with.

The Cetra brunette turned to leave also, smiling at the ground until Sam must have looked back and called out to her at the last-minute.

"Hey Aerith! When I see you there we should have a dance together and you have to let me buy you a drink!"

Aerith was glad her back was turned or else Samantha would have seen the smile as it was wiped from her face.

What had she done!? She wouldn't be allowed down to sector 3! Aerith didn't usually care what the other junior nurses thought of her but this would be so humiliating when she didn't show up and it was found out that she had lied.

She wanted to go! She wanted to get out of this damn building for once, especially if it meant to go see Midnight Kalm play. Why wasn't she allowed out anyway? Was it really because the science department were scared for her safety? What if they knew one of the most skilled swordsman in all of Gaia was with her?

What if she really did go with Sephiroth!?

Aerith rapidly picked up her pace towards the SOLDIER's canteen.

* * *

Staring absently into space, Sephiroth joylessly shovelled his mid-day meal into his mouth, chewed robotically and swallowed. It seemed that science had come a long way in twenty years but not in its abilities to season heavily supplemented artificial super-foods. It wasn't the slushy bowl of wall paper paste that was bothering him however, it was the surprisingly calm and diplomatic discussion he'd had with the president yesterday that was at the forefront of his mind.

Not only had the gradually fattening man confirmed that it was true and they were indeed lowering the enhancement age brackets like Scarlett had said but also that plans to send troops to Wutai were in motion and he was expected to play a key role in the upcoming campaign. What was worse was that now he knew, the science department was being given the green light to begin the process of preparing his body to receive fresh mako with a plan to recieve the brutal injections in as early as three weeks from now.

Sephiroth looked down at his bowl and sighed to see that it was still half full.

He had always known this chapter of his life was coming, he just hadn't expected it to be so soon. What made it worse was that he was firmly obligated to hold everything the president had told him to the strictest of confidentiality so he couldn't even tell Angeal or Genesis about it yet.

How the hell was he ever going to tell Aerith?

Speak of the devil.

"Aerith, your attempts to sneak up on me are often futile but that was nothing short of diabolical. You must be in a rush"

The cheery vision of bubbly joy appeared over his left shoulder, smelling as pleasant as ever and greeting him with the same soft affectionate kiss to the cheek that he had given up on trying to object to many years ago.

"No I'm not"

Aerith slid into the empty seat opposite him and set her far more appetizing lunch tray down with a coy smile, knowing she wasn't a very good liar.

"Soooo... how's your day been Sephy?"

He on the other was rather good at it.

"Sufficiently uneventful"

Aerith tilted her head onto a slant, beaming at him with her famous pouty bright-eyed curiosity face.

"Do I have something on my face?"

"No I was just thinking"

"About?"

"About how much I'd like to climb into that head of yours and find out exactly what goes on in there"

"Lots of scary stuff" he quipped and she giggled, looking down at her tray and taking the large blueberry muffin in hand.

"I can only imagine"

She glanced around and then slid the cake across to him in an extremely over-cautionate and secretive manner. He nearly smiled, he could always tell what day of the week it was simply from the confectionary item that Aerith smuggled him that day alone. Sephiroth inclined his head in gratitude and absorbed in the happy glow the young Cetra teenager shone with because of it.

He wasn't a huge fan of sweet things but he accepted the treats from her against nutritional policy because it made Aerith feel better and seemed to bring her comfort. For some bizarre reason it used to upset her greatly that his strict dietary routine meant that he ate differently to everyone else and did not allow for him to indulge in sugary products. When she was 9 she had actually cried tears about it and it had taken accepting her desert every lunch time to appease the situation. It simply became tradition after that.

Internally he saddened. They had grown so many traditions together, it was distressing to think after listening to Angeal's and the presidents words that they could all change or disappear entirely.

"So how did your SOLDIER's do in the quarterlies?" Aerith queried assertively as she began delicately stabbing at her plate of rice and Duel-horn steak.

"Twelve tier passes" he replied despite being able to tell that a very different topic of discussion was waiting to burst out of the girl.

"What all of them?"

"Of course"

Aerith sat further upright and reached out with her forkless free hand to squeeze his excitedly. "Oh Seph that's great! You must be so proud!"

He nodded and fixed her with a distinct gaze, "I am proud of all my students"

His words sparked a strong reaction from her and the green-eyed girls hand retreated to her lap beneath the table and her cheeks flushed.

"I'm glad, I like hearing you say that"

"Mmm, I will make a point to say it more regularly then. I do feel at times that I am inadequate at giving proper praise"

"You're better than you think Seph… when you're not being a big bossy drill sergeant with a huge scary sword that is"

Even though Aerith lowered her voice, the cheeky off the cuff comment at the end didn't fail to reach his ears and she squirmed laughingly as he raised his frost coloured eyebrows at her.

"I'm only joking, you know I love the Masamune"

"You... 'love' it? Aerith are you sure you haven't been touching my sword?"

"I haven't! Well, not other than the times you let me try to pick it up"

Sephiroth chuckled at the memories.

"Hey! Why are you laughing? I got it like three feet off the ground last time you bully!"

"My apologies, my amusement was not directed at your physical competency I assure you. You're really very strong for a female of your size and build"

"My size and build!? And what exactly is that supposed to mean?"

Sephiroth who was just about to bite into the muffin and get some eating done around here paused at the demanding tone of Aerith's voice and scalding expression.

"Uh… You're physical stature?"

"Small! You were going to say small weren't you?"

Firmly squaring her shoulders he couldn't help but notice Aerith's chest as it puffed up, creating tension against the third button of her plain white blouse and making his head go into an awkward tail spin for noticing.

"No... no I... I mean I wasn't implying... I don't think that you are..."

Suddenly she blew up into an explosion of giggles as she dropped her fork back into her tray of food that looked like it was never going to get eaten.

"Oh Seph I'm only teasing!".she continued creasing up and if it had been anyone else he would have grumbled, he didn't like being teased. "Your face! It was so adorable!"

"My face fits no such description" he replied aloofly.

"It totally does. You looked more embarrassed than the time Angeal tried to sit me down and explain about the birds and the bees two years too late"

"He did that?"

She nodded while wiping a falling tear away, composed herself and finally began eating.

"What did he say?"

"Too mush" came the muffled amused response as she placed a polite hand over her mouth while chewing.

Sephiroth felt slightly disturbed that Aerith was already aware of such things now at fifteen, let alone since she was thirteen. Though He should have guessed it sooner with the type of older women she was exposed to on a daily basis.

He decided to change the subject.

"So are you going to come out and tell me what it is that is really on your mind?"

Aerith took extra effort to swallow her food early and set her cutlery down with a deep breath.

"Ok... I've decided I want to ask for something from you for my birthday"

Sephiroth's attention was gripped, she was actually going to specifically tell him what she wanted? Perfect.

"Go on"

"I want to be allowed out to go watch this band I really like play on Saturday"

Now that he wasn't expecting.

"Play? Play where?"

"At this bar that everyone raves about down in sector 3"

His body minutely flinched all over.

"It would only be for a few hours and I won't drink any alcohol, even though I'd be old enough"

He shook his head on reflex.

"Bars are dangerous and full of people with un-honourable intentions"

Great, now he was starting to sound like Angeal.

"I understand that... but you know I wouldn't be going for that reason. I would never do anything like that and besides, I hear it's really really nice and not like the horrible ones with the perverts"

"Still, I would not be comfortable with it and even if I was, you know the science department would not allow you to go"

"For my safety right? You see I thought about that and I figured you could come with me! They'd probably be wayyyy more open to the idea if they knew you was there and that way you wouldn't have to worry either. We could have so much fun together and if anything was to happen you could protect me"

The mere thought of being in a crowded public place was unpleasant enough but being in one that was also highly intoxicated? It made him physically cringe.

"No. I do not think this would be wise"

Aerith leaned forward imploringly, the excitement dying from her voice and eyes.

"But please Seph!"

"Aerith it is not in my control. So even if I were to agree, I do not believe the science department would permit it even with my presence"

He watched his Cetra sister struggle to think of further ways to object and when she couldn't Sephiroth clenched his hand as the upset visibly mounted in her expression.

"This is all Genesis' bloody fault, he is the one who put these kind of ideas into your head"

"No it wasn't!"

"Then who did?"

"It hasn't just popped into my head all of a sudden you know! This isn't the first time I've wanted to get out of here and see the world outside of this building. But if you must know Samantha was the one who mentioned the band. She came to me because she wanted to ask..."

"Ask? Ask what?" he pushed sternly when Aerith fell silent at the mention of that infernal hussy.

"It doesn't matter! She told me she was going and I said I was to and now I'm going to be completely humiliated when I don't show up!"

A damp glimmer of tears began to pool in the corners of her globe-sized emerald eyes, alarming him that going to see a group of musicians had meant this much to her.

"You said you were going? Why?"

"Because for once I didn't want to feel like an immature little girl and I didn't want a woman who is prettier and sexier than me taking what's mine!"

"Taking what's yours?"

Aerith had worked herself up into quite a state by this point and stood up to leave.

"Just forget about it! forget I ever asked!"

"Where are you going?"

"I'm not hungry anymore!"

Sephiroth considered following or calling out to her but neither of the actions came to fruition and instead he watched as Aerith left without responding.

Once she was gone and silence fell around him, Sephiroth looked out of the large canteen window beside him regretfully, staring down at the topside of the plate that suffocated the sectors below where Aerith wanted to go.

It would seem that Angeal was bang on the money, she was changing and didn't want to be treated like a child anymore, she even said it herself.

How could he have not seen this for himself sooner? How could he have expected that she would remain content being cooped up in this place for so long? How was he going to deal with all of this if they shipped him off to Wutai?

It felt like the whole world was changing lately and if Sephiroth was honest with himself, it was not something he was entirely ready for.

* * *

Moving through the sterile hallways of the prosthetics wing, the sound of Genesis' footsteps reverberated loudly through the sparsely populated corridors as he moved through them swiftly. The place disturbed him and he was grateful that he only had to encounter a dozen or so patients and doctors along the way. There was something about seeing a person with an artificial limb that freaked him out something fierce or worse still, no limb at all. Even seeing a normal person was just as bad because then it was all his brain could do but suspiciously wonder whether they had a part of them that was missing and if so, where?

Genesis made a note to avoid this place in the future, no doubt if the war in Wutai did happen (which he greeted whole heartedly), this place would end up becoming insanely busy and they would probably try to get him, the hero of Wutai, to pay all the cripples a visit. Genesis would be sure that he was 'sadly otherwise preoccupied' on that particular day, maybe with polishing all the medals and awards that SOLDIER would have showered upon him for his acts of valor in battle.

He sniggered to himself, his mind could be such an asshole at times.

The blindly roaming SOLDIER eventually found what he was looking for with relief, a pathetically small junior doctor's office with Shalua Rui's name on the front which he wasted no time in attempting entry to. When he grabbed the door handle and found that it was unlocked, Genesis fully expected to walk in on the woman so he was surprised when he found that it was vacant. Even more surprising was how neat the place was, immaculate in fact with a well-kept office plant in the corner of the room, everything in its proper assigned place and no clutter in sight of any kind. Even the pot of pens on her desk was neatly arranged and color coordinated without a single lid missing, who ever heard of a full pot of pens that didn't have at least a lid or two missing?

It was all rather inexcusable considering she was supposed to be having a mental breakdown and using her grief for her missing sister as an excuse for her sloppy physical presentation.

Looking at the files in his hand Genesis wondered what to do now, he hadn't actually come here to return them, they were merely a prop so he could come here and put the woman in her place after she had verbally beaten him down yesterday afternoon. Deciding against putting the files on her desk and leaving he stepped into the tastefully furnished room, he had dragged his perfectly sculpted ass all the way down here, the least he deserved was a bit of a snoop around.

The auburn haired SOLDIER idly paced the room, closely inspecting a number of items on display such as boring medical books, crystal ornaments, two small hand painted Chocobo figurines, framed qualification certificates that could be found in nearly every medical geeks office and a photo of the doctor herself next to a young girl. Genesis picked the frame of the shelf and looked at the picture of the two females smiling with cheeks pressed together in the living room of an unfurnished apartment, brown moving boxes scattered about in the background.

Besides having a much darker shade of strawberry blond hair, the girl Shelke was a spitting image of her older sister and from simple deduction of the scene in front of him, it also looked like the attractive (in this picture) doctor had played the role of parent as well as sister. Genesis quickly set the frame back down in its original place before he could begin feeling guilty about coming here to give Miss Rui a grilling.

Making the already powered up computer the next victim of his noseying about, Genesis slid into the doctor's rigidly positioned chair and took a hold of the mouse but to his disappointment the machine, unlike the door, was locked. Fingers tapped against the keyboard.

P-a-s-s-w-o-r-d

-Enter-

'Incorrect password please try again'

_Damn... worth a try._

Looking behind the desk itself three drawers presented themselves to him, the bottom of which had a keyhole but Genesis decided to try it anyway. There was an odd crunch sound, signalling that inhuman strength and crappy quality furniture locks did not go well together.

_Shit, now she would know someone was here. Oh well, there would be nothing linking him to the scene of the crime._

Eagerly grabbing the thick black folder that sat alone at the bottom of the drawer he pulled the file into his lap, flicked a quick glance at the doorway again and began skim reading the pages with a speed that only a person as cultured and well-read as he could achieve.

The first handful of pages were nothing special, snippets from newspapers, police reports and extensively detailed notes of Shelke's disappearance. After that however it got far more interesting and Genesis slowed his reading down as he became more focused and engrossed in the contents. There were medical reports on Shelke, tons of them and far too complex and numerous to be for any normal healthy 9-year-old child.

Now Genesis had no disillusions that he was well-educated and just about the most intelligent individual around the place. So he felt no shame in admitting that his superior intellect did not extend to analysing blood reports, interpreting brain scan charts or understanding 'electroencephalography' test results. What he did know on the other hand from the notes that were being made was that most of these tests were being conducted by Shalua herself and most of which she had been keeping a secret from the company. Genesis licked his lips and delved deeper into the pages, he loved a good scandal.

After five more minutes of reading all he could discern was that the girl apparently had some sort of rare mental gift to process knowledge and a whole bunch of other stuff he couldn't quite get his head around about 'Synaptic Net Drives'.

By the time the decently mind fucked Genesis reached the end of the enormous file, he was hurrying his way through the rest, knowing he had overstayed long enough and was becoming more and more at risk of getting caught. He was in such a hurry in fact that he nearly missed off a chunk of papers at the end all together but the image of a logo he distinctly recognized stopped him from doing so and his grip on the folder tightened.

Page after page of extensive research on the radical organisation AVALANCHE flicked through his palms and evidence that the doctor herself had been in communications with them about the disappearance of her sister sobered the second class SOLDIER.

His adrenaline spiked and his eyes flashed with mako intensity at the picture of the harmless looking doctor sitting on the shelf across from him.

A fun little snoop had just turned into something serious, he had stumbled across an employee of Shinra that was working with terrorists.


	7. Chapter 7

**Afternoon fellow beloved FF7 fans!**

**I hope the new chapter gets received as well as the others have been and thanks for the support! You may have to excuse me if the next one takes a few days longer to arrive, I have FF-type 0 and FF15 demo arriving today (so hype!) as well as another chapter of Life Is Strange to play and ALSO I have begun my first ever fully fledged FF collection! I've wanted one for sooo many years and I am now kicking it off with a non-Turk Vincent, Tidus, AC Cloud and Serah (*hearts Serah Farron*) figurines along with some display gaming guides from FFV, VI, VII, Crisis Core, VIII, X, X-2, XIII, XIII-2 and much more to come! **

**Oh shit… I've officially become a nerd…**

**Anyway massive pointless ramble aside:**

**CatXAngel: Sincere thank you for the compliment about my writing and the review. I will strive to deliver the best Sephiroth X Aerith I can! So excited!**

**Ocena Strex: The teen peer pressure/hormones, Genesis' over dramatic superiority complex, the unfair life that Aerith lives and the bit you said about Seph. You point out all the awesome bits of each chapter that gives me such drive and confidence knowing the story is being received as hoped. Thanks buddy!**

**Chrono: Glad you enjoy mate, hope I don't make the repercussions of sneaky Gen too angsty for you.**

**Turk4Life / The great philosopher and queen of comedy AKA Moosh: Your reviews are NEVER lacklustre, far from and I have read ScribeOfRhapsody's fic so the fact that you look forward to my fic next to a writer like Scribe and among all the other awesome writers in this fandom is enough to make me want to climb on my desk at work right now and dance. (Yes I am writing this at work lolz! Come at me boss! I ain't scared'a you :D!) Reading your review again I have the overwhelming urge to PM you :D**

**On with the fic!**

* * *

Switching from inhaling through his nose to his mouth, Sephiroth marched into the Shinra science department for his Wednesday appointment with a professor he would gladly watch get skinned alive. Nothing had changed, the sterile blend of chemicals and powerful cleaning fluids was still the smell of his childhood that he detested more than any other on this planet. No one but him would know that though, he hid every trace of his discomfort behind a murderous expression that never failed to clear the laboratory vermin from his path.

He didn't wait in the reception anymore like he did when he was a boy, he refused to wait like some lap dog until Hojo was ready to collect him. These unavoidable encounters would be conducted on his watch, on his terms and at his convenience.

Viciously throwing open the door to Hojo's personal surgery, the repulsive pointy-nosed creature was expectantly awaiting his arrival along with two trusty scientists who were probably there to act as back-up and potential witnesses. The notion was laughable, in the event that he did lose his mind and decide to act on his inner desires, not a single scientist on this floor would be left to tell the tale.

"Ahhh my boy. Come in! Come in!"

Sephiroth was already in the room, his long black leather coat discarded onto the steel table in the center of the room which he took a stoic seat upon.

"Splendid. Splendid! As I am sure you are aware we have been permitted to begin your next level of enhancements, simply marvellous! At long last we can begin transforming you from the worthless weakling that fool Shinra has kept you down as!"

Hojo's bent over form circled the table with a greedy look on his beady face. It had only taken six seconds for the scientist to insult him this time, not a record by any means.

"Now there will be no limits to the things we can do! There will be no limits to the power that will be achieved. Yes… oh yes, yes! The legacy of my genius from this moment on will truly become everlasting"

Sephiroth kept his eyes straight forward with disinterest, not allowing the lunatics words to have any kind of impact on him and keeping his mind focused on the true purpose of what he hoped to get out of this session. Ever since Aerith's distressed outburst the day before, the subject of fulfilling her request had been on his mind constantly since.

"Still not talking boy!?" Hojo snapped in aggravation when Sephiroth continued to pay the man no heed, "well if you have such little need for your tongue then perhaps I should remove it? What do you think about that!?"

The professors pathetic empty threats didn't bother him, the only thing he cared about when it came to Hojo was how he was going to keep a close eye on the maniac and any plans he had for Aerith now she was becoming of age from half way around the world.

"Hmmmm" Hojo crooned after studying him for a long time, then the man began cackling, an annoyingly nasal laugh that escalated until the man's shoulders were shaking up and down vigorously. "Well we will see how quiet you are in three weeks from now boy! Not very quiet I should imagine! NOT VERY QUIET AT ALL! EEEEHEEHEEHEEHAAHAAAA! LET US BEGIN PHASE 1!"

One of the assistants began shuffling away to retrieve the ghastly equipment used to analyze the bodies current physical condition and its capacity to handle Mako while the other kept their face firmly buried behind their clipboard.

"Forget that, skip straight to the debilitation process"

The scrawny professor paused, a rare look of surprise on Hojo's malevolent face.

"What did you say boy?"

"You heard me"

Sephiroth was not ignorant towards the enhancement process. Phase 1 was analysis, a mere safety procedure if anything to assess the patient. Phase 2 was a process nicknamed 'debilitation', a week of daily injections designed to prevent the bodies current enhancements from putting up a defence against the new ones and make the bodies natural cells receptive towards the new S-cells. Phase 3, a week after that, were the Mako injections themselves, the phase where things got ugly.

"You wish for me to receive my enhancements as soon as possible do you not? Then you can begin phase 2 with my consent immediately. On one condition"

Thin dry lips curled into a cold and devious smirk and the professor shuffled the position of his small round spectacles along his harshly shapen nose.

"So you finally decide to find your voice just when you so happen to want something, what a coincidence. I do not think I will oblige you or your insolence!"

Sephiroth disregarded the scientist and his egotistical ranting and continued in an authoritive tone.

"You will allow me to take Aerith down into the city for one evening this Saturday. You will have no interference in the matter and she will be permitted to enjoy the occasion without harassment or animosity of any sort before, during or after the event"

"Absolutely out of the question"

"Then you may not begin the debilitation process"

A muscle twitched in the corner of Hojo's eye and his thin boney hand slammed against the other side of the cold steel table.

"I have patiently awaited this moment for years you presumptuous little shit! I can gladly wait an extra week!"

"If you do not grant me this request you will not begin any phase whatsoever this week or any of the foreseeable weeks to come"

A veil of fury dropped over the professors face which Sephiroth returned with just as hostile and predatory a gaze, making the two other scientists in the room cower away into the far corner.

"That is not a decision you can make boy, you are company property, you cannot refuse the procedure!"

"No I cannot, but I can create an appeal to resist it that the board will be obligated to review. It will inevitably be denied but it will certainly delay the process by a couple of months"

The aghast expression on the detestable man's face and the satisfying sight of Hojo's body as it began to tremble with anger would undoubtedly become his highlight of the year.

"You son of a no good useless fucking whore! You dare to blackmail me!?"

"I do. So what will it be? Debilitation process now or closer to a date that I may be deployed overseas and you shave months off of your invaluable research?"

Sephiroth's eye was held with a heated glare for close to an entire minute until Hojo poorly disguised his simmering rage with a twisted lopsided smirk.

"Your fondness for the ancient is most intriguing. C19 NOW!"

A surgical needle loaded with a generous measuring of amber liquid was passed into Hojo's outstretched hand as quick as lightning.

"But pull another stunt like this again and I will deem your relationship with her 'unhealthy' and see it fit that she is returned to the department where you will be forbidden from being within a hundred feet of her"

_And your head will be mounted atop the Shinra building the day you give that a try_

Sephiroth remained silent, watching victoriously as the nut case, who thought he was being discreet, spitefully pressed the tip of the needle against the side of the table to blunt it.

"She, like you, is company property, a specimen who's interference with will not be tolerated. You would do well to remember that in the future boy"

His arm was snatched at the wrist by the professor who dug his nails into Sephiroth's flesh as hard as he could while aligning the needle with the underside of his arm.

"Unless of course you want her to get hurt that is"

Hojo stabbed the needle rapidly into the intentionally extra sensitive spot left of his tricep and slammed the plunger. The rough puncturing sensation was sharp but Sephiroth didn't flinch in the slightest, in fact he was trying not to grin despite the dark threat the professor had made and the consequences of the medication entering his system.

_Happy birthday Aerith_

* * *

"Lara always seemed like such a quiet and shy kind of girl, the last thing I was expecting was for her to drop her clothes like that right then and there in my apartment"

Angeal flicked his PHS shut on the timidly worded message of apology from the twenty-three year old beauty in finance he had been sharing a fond working relationship with for the last six months as he left the gym with Genesis after an early morning workout. Yes, despite what most people would believe even SOLDIER's needed to workout to stay in shape.

"Gen are you even listening to me?"

His regular gym partner had been zoning in and out for most of the session and no matter how many times he asked, Genesis kept denying that he was. Needless to say with his spotter drifting into long stretches of deep thoughtful daydreams, Angeal didn't attempt any personal records in the gym today.

"Genesis!"

"…? Yes you took her clothes off, I heard you… woohoo"

"I didn't say that. Hey don't you go spreading that I did that!"

Genesis grinned and returned to the land of the living.

"Angeal, that you might have undressed a woman is not the type of rumour you should be so eager to resist. So to clarify, little miss accountancy bared all and you and her did NOT... 'get it on'?"

"No we didn't!"

"And why not?"

Angeal bashfully eyed the younger SOLDIER who somehow still managed to look immaculately dressed in a sleeveless tank and gym trousers.

"If you are about to say honor, I shall throw myself upon my own sword"

"She had been drinking! A lot! That's not honor, that's just decency!"

"Sounds gay to me" Genesis mumbled quietly so the first class prude wouldn't hear him.

"I don't know why she felt the need to drink so much to be able to make a move, I always thought I was pretty approachable"

Genesis shook his head to himself at the doubt-filled expression his clueless raven haired colleague pitifully wielded.

"I am going to give it to you straight Angeal"

"Please don't"

"You are a top ranking SOLDIER who is so afraid of communicating romantic feelings in the fear of causing perversion and being seen as anything less than respectable that many would question if you harbour an interest in the opposite sex at all. You have been working with this female, who you should note, blushes without fail every time you so much as look at her for countless painful months now on a far more intimate level than what can be classed as 'strictly work related'. Yet despite all of this you have failed to act upon the rather obvious fact that she likes you and have sent no clear message to express an interest of your own. Not to mention you outweigh the girl by about 150 pounds and possess a somewhat harsh and unrefined exterior that could be perceived as intimidating. And you don't read Loveless. I would say her reservations are rather just"

"How is me not reading poxy Loveless a fault!?"

"Not reading Loveless is always a fault"

"Yes thank you Gen…"

"In fact you have been so hopelessly naïve throughout this whole affair that it would be justified to say that you are nothing shy of 'completely romantically incompetent going on retarded' and the only reason people do not notice this is because you have just so happened to befriend Sephiroth. The one person on Gaia who is so incredibly inept in the ways of courtship that he makes you look like a pimp from the honey-bee inn"

Genesis raised a single eyebrow at Angeal for trying to give him a stern look as they made their towards their respectively located offices and showers.

"You know I'm right"

Angeal frowned, "Ok then. If you're such an expert how come I'm not seeing any ladies hanging off of YOUR arm?"

Genesis flippantly pushed back a section of his hair.

"I like to believe I have transcended such base desires"

"Oh really?"

"Yes really"

A mini sidelong stare-off ensued between the pair as they came to their departing junction.

Eventually Angeal broke first and laughed and even though he was being perfectly serious, Genesis followed suit.

"You never fail to amuse Gen. Well I'll be facing the awkward music with Lara later at an apartment expenses meeting, I'll see if I am able to act a little less 'incompetent' or 'retarded' this time"

_Doubtful _

Genesis chuckled.

"Anyway I gotta bounce, I have to teach a class of thirty kids how to hold a rifle properly"

Angeal tapped the side of a closed fist against Genesis' chest and left in the other direction. The crimson SOLDIER held his hand up in farewell.

"You have my deepest sympathies friend... Oh! And be sure that my refurbishment plans are brought to the forefront of the agenda in today's meeting!"

The back of Angeal's hand was thrown up idly as the thickly built SOLDIER made his exit.

"You're not getting a pool Gen"

Genesis pouted.

_What about the ground level arts...? _

"Or the art gallery"

Genesis flapped his arms wildly.

_Why did he never seem to get his own way!?_

Agitated he head towards his own office that was disgracefully smaller than Sephiroth's. To think he had turned down a destined career of being the worlds most distinguished actor for this crap.

Speaking of crap, he still had to figure out a way to handle the troublesome situation that infernal Shalua Rui woman had placed him in.

Just as it had been for the majority of the day and last night, his mind zoned out into thinking about the doctor potentially turned AVALANCHE terrorist for the one-millionth time. The fact he had not blown the whistle on her already was putting his career on the line and every minute that passed that he didn't he was incriminating himself further so he had to make a decision fast.

It wasn't that he was unsure whether or not to report it, he was going to expose the doctor there was no question about it, she was working with a very nasty enemy that he had personally had to deal with on many missions. The only question was did he want to do it anonymously and avoid having to awkwardly explain how he came about the information? Or openly report the crime and have a chance at being rewarded? Shinra were pretty generous when it came to whistle blowing on company traitors. Perhaps he could even bargain his apartment refurb and a bigger office than Sephiroth for the dirt he had on Shalua?

He didn't need to think about it any longer.

_Sorry Miss Rui, it's a dog eat dog world and you my dear have just been devoured._

Mind made up Genesis stepped into the lift to ascend nine levels, something you seemed to spend half your day doing when you worked within the Shinra building. He had hardly taken two steps into the confined box when rather unexpectedly his back was roughly forced the rest of the way into the elevator, his absent mindedness taking his natural vigilance down for long enough to be caught off-guard.

Whirling around Genesis smirked to see long legs in stockings, another very classy skirt matched with a modestly fitted blouse that gave a better-than-lab-coat view of surprisingly large breasts, strawberry blonde hair and teal green eyes... angry teal green eyes.

Genesis kept the shock of seeing the very woman he had just been thinking about and his confusion on why she had assaulted him and was so glaringly obviously pissed off from showing. The elevators doors closed and Shalua Rui hit the emergency brakes button to keep them that way, then she rounded herself on him.

"You know we should stop meeting like this..."

The front of his gym vest was grabbed by two small but surprisingly strong hands that tried to push him into the back wall but Genesis was ready for her this time and there was no possible way the female would be able to budge him.

"Don't get cute with me! Why the hell were you in my office yesterday!?"

_Holy crap, how in the divine name of the Goddess did she find out it was him!? Just play it cool_

"I don't know what you mean"

"Don't lie!" she barked furiously, yanking on his scant early morning clothing hard and nearly tearing it.

It was just his luck to get intercepted while under dressed in a top that exposed half his torso, especially when pulled on by a member of the opposite sex who had clearly gone insane. Oh well at least he was still pumped from the gym so he looked good.

Amusingly Miss Rui seemed to notice it to as she looked down and flushed.

"... wh-what are you... wearing?" she shook her head dramatically and growled. "Forget that! I know it was you who snuck into my office and broke into my desk! Why did you do it!?"

Genesis chuckled, the young doctor had one of those easy-on-the-eye faces with a light complexion and delicate features that only served to make her look cuter when she got mad. Unphased and deciding this was not going to be a repeat of the other day in which she verbally butchered him and he simply took it, Genesis grabbed both of the girls wrists with one hand, making her gasp in alarm as he swiftly reversed their positions and effortlessly pinned her hands overhead against the back wall at arm's length.

"Did no one ever tell you that you should keep your hands to yourself?"

Releasing a modicum of heat into his restraining hand, Genesis revelled in the slight widening of the surprised woman's eyes who was being forced up onto her tip-toes.

"Now, do pray tell as I am curious, how is it that you 'know' it was me who supposedly broke into your office?"

She swallowed and answered shakily.

"Because I asked around and three people said they saw you wondering the prosthetics wing"

_Bugger. The curse of having such an above average and unforgettable appearance_

"And how does my presence in an area that is openly accessible to all employees incriminate me exactly?" he asked coolly.

His intimidation wore off and the curvy young woman began getting feisty again as she thrashed about for a moment but quickly realized she wasn't going anywhere soon under his unrelenting grip.

"Well?"

"Because last I checked you didn't have any bits missing or any reason to be over there! Something that will change very soon if you don't let me go!"

_Cute_

Genesis squeezed her wrists tighter making a short whine escape the woman's throat.

"How do you know I wasn't simply visiting a friend?"

"Why are you doing this!? I know it was you so stop messing about!... please" Shalua's voice trailed off into a whimper.

Knowing the game was up and the effort that it would take to keep the act going, Genesis gave in. It didn't matter if she knew anyway, there was nothing she could do about it now he had her trapped.

"Fine, so it was me"

"WHY!?"

"I went into your precious bloody office to return the papers you selfishly left strewn across the floor of course. You weren't in so I decided to return them to a drawer rather than somewhere they could be seen in the interests of confidentiality and broke your lock, accidentally I might add..."

_Ok, so it wasn't the total truth, but it was close enough._

"...and yes, before you ask, I did find that rather intriguing little file of yours"

Shalua's expression dropped, all the fight and tension leaving her body.

"And did you read it?" she squeaked pleadingly.

Genesis nodded

"… all of it?"

"Enough to know that you hid from the company that Shelke was no normal child and that you have been exchanging information with terrorists"

Tears formed in the young woman's eyes behind thin panes of glass, a look of defeat and despair contorting her face as she lowered her gaze to the floor.

"So you do know"

"Yes I do"

His captive hung there, wordlessly taking in the gravity of the situation with a look of shame that he wasn't sure was whether it was because she had been caught or the way things had come to him holding her body in such a undignified stretched out position as this.

"… please let go of me" Shalua whispered softly, hiding her face behind a screen of her hair.

"Are you going to keep your hands to yourself?"

She nodded meekly.

Genesis released his grip and the tearful girl dropped down onto her heels, immediately caressing her wrists to the centre of her body.

A moment of silence fell between them and Genesis took a distancing step away while Shalua folded her arms across her downcast form, looking just about the most pitiful sight he had ever seen.

"So… what are you going to do?"

"What I have to" he replied flatly.

Her head dropped lower, disguising her face further from his view and even though he couldn't see them, Genesis could tell from her voice that she was in tears.

"… look... I know that I have no right to ask anything of you, especially after the way I spoke to you the other day"

"Oh so you remember that do you?" Genesis remarked sternly.

"I do... and I wanted to find you and apologise... for calling you a jerk... and for saying SOLDIER's were all heartless bastards... I wasn't myself! I'm not like that... I haven't been myself in such a long time"

He folded his arms, "Pfff, sure you did"

"It's true... but you can choose not to believe me if you want, it doesn't matter. All I ask is you come to my office later and give me the chance to explain everything"

Shalua walked passed him without making eye contact and pressed the brake button again to undo the door.

"You mean the chance to run"

She tilted her head to half look back at him.

"I'm many things but I'm not stupid, we both know that I wouldn't make it far… but perhaps this will help"

She handed him her keycard, the only way she would be able to get off the plate this side of the next twenty-four hours.

"And you're right, what you said. Shelke isn't a normal child, but my sister... my baby sister isn't dead either I just know it... and I'll show you why I believe it. If after I've told you everything you still want to hand me in, I promise I'll go without argument"

Whether it was his curiosity to find out more, his certainty that she possessed no immediate threat and couldn't escape or the voice of Aerith in his head telling him that every person deserved a chance, he nodded.

"Very well"

Shalua minutely bowed her head in response, squeezing her eyes shut with relief.

"Thank you… Genesis"

An unpleasant shiver ran down his spine which he grounded by clenching his fists.

"Pah!… don't thank me. I'm only doing it because I'm bored and dealing with you myself before I hand you over will pass some time and provide me with a small degree of entertainment"

The junior doctor flinched, then she gave the tiniest of nods and from behind the veil of reddish-orange hair two visible tears fell from her chin as she left.

Genesis dismissed the wretched sight from his mind with haste, empathy and sympathy were not afflictions he would allow himself, the future crimson commander of the company to be burdened with. His job demanded it, he had to remain cold and detached from matters whenever duty was involved. He had even killed people during his career in SOLDIER and he had done it with ease.

But still, he couldn't deny this situation with the female doctor brought him discomfort. There was something about holding a person's life in his hands at the edge of a sword that felt so very different to the way he currently held Shalua Rui's...

... and in all honesty the sword seemed far more appealing right now.


	8. Chapter 8

**Hey guys/gals, hope you're all well.  
**

**Another new chapter here and while it is on a slightly longer side then I intended for any of the chapters to be, I didn't want to rush my take on my backstory of two characters I greatly love :D. **

**I am pretty pleased with this chapter and I hope you guys like it but I am especially super duper excited for the next part of the story which I have had planned a long old time and will run over the next two chapters. Now I just have to go and write them :D**

**Thank you Ocena and Moosh, two awesome loyal reviewers, you are honestly very appreciated ladies :)**

**On we go!**

* * *

For the second time in the short space of two days, Genesis Rhapsodos was proudly gracing the halls of the prosthetics wing with his presence, very much aware but rather enjoying the attention he drew from fixated onlookers in the area. He had decided to let the young terrorist doctor stew for the best part of the entire day and was returning to her office late in the evening, donning his familiar impeccable outfit of crimson leather coat and black leather trousers with his blood red rapier stationed visibly at the hip. It all contributed to the future commanders intimidating and striking appearance and not being made to wear the hideous blue uniform like every other second class SOLDIER was, in Genesis' opinion, one of the greatest perks of being 'special' patients of Hollander's and Hojo's that he and Sephiroth got away with.

Retracing his steps and finding his way back to the pretty little doctor's office with ease, Genesis frowned in disappointment when he saw light spilling out from beneath the doorway. Returning later in the evening it had also been his intention to give the troublesome woman plenty of time to get a head start as he was quite expecting and rather hoping that she would have tried to run. All things considered Genesis knew an intelligent opponent when he saw one and combined with the girls natural and refreshing feistiness, hunting her down across the upper plate or even the slums themselves would have been enjoyable.

He approached the outside of the unimpressive office door slowly, a strange and rare moment of uncertainty taking hold as he briefly considered whether he should knock first or simply enter like before. His hand hovered silently over the handle, time standing still in tense unease while he considered the style of his entrance.

"GEN!"

The auburn haired second deep in thought recoiled and jumped away from the door so hard in fright that he nearly threw himself through the wall opposite.

"Benoran ram piss! Gainsborough are you trying to kill me or get killed!"

The bright-eyed teenage brunette came jogging towards him, smiling impishly.

"Ahh I'm sorry! I didn't mean to scare you, I just wasn't expecting to see you here!"

Genesis stood upright and composed himself before addressing the entirely unexpected little encounter he was staring down at.

"You realise I very nearly incinerated you?"

The fourth member of the not quite trio giggled light-heartedly and took both his hands in hers.

"Oooh you're right, they are quite toastie. Awww Gen I'm sorry, bless you your all on edge now! You jumped so hard. Youuuuu must have been doing something naughty mister" she teased at the end with a mock reprimanding voice.

"Hmph. What can I say, you got me" he replied absently, looking back towards the door behind him.

"Yay! One down two to go!" she cheered then tilted her head sidelong at him. "Hey is everything ok Gen?"

"It is. Why do you ask?"

"I'm only checking, to see whether you came down here just to have another one of your grumps"

"Aerith I do not have 'grumps'… and even if I did, this would be the last place I would chose to have them" he stated adamantly, looking around the entire place distastefully.

"Weeelllllllll… I'm glad to hear that because if you WERE in a bad mood then I couldn't do this!"

The bubbly cheery female bounded into him and imprisoned the man on a serious mission in one of her classic waist high restraining hugs.

"Watch it! Do watch the clothes! You are making creases! You are creasing the clothes!" he implored pathetically then gave in and laid his hand lightly on top of a crown of curls as a small smile played on his face, wondering how she still had so much energy and enthusiasm at this hour.

"Aerith it's almost 10pm, what are you even doing here?"

"I was over your side getting some advice from Angeal and this is a shortcut back to my dorm" the junior nurse replied up at him innocently.

"You were seeking advice from Angeal, about what?"

Aerith looked away to the floor, her expression suddenly becoming downtrodden.

"About Seph… I feel bad because I kinda shouted at him yesterday and I'm worried I might have upset him"

"He probably deserved it" Genesis scoffed.

"No... not this time he didn't. I asked him about going down into the city for my birthday…"

"... ah yes and let me guess, he said no because the almighty and sacred 'science department' would not approve correct?"

"Yeah… but I feel terrible, it was unreasonable for me to put that on him"

The auburn haired swordsmen placed both his hands on small shoulders.

"Excuse the vulgarity of my language but 'fuck that', I find the request far from unreasonable. If he will not have the spine for it then I will take you. Unlike Sephiroth I do not answer to Hojo"

"Gen…"

"And if that insufferable little pipsqueak of a scientist tries to make a deal of it then I will deliver swift retribution and hang him from the top of the Shinra tower in nothing but his undergarments"

His off-the-cuff threat made the Cetra teenager laugh tunefully and her face and arms returned to his torso in their unrelenting mission to wrinkle his clothing.

"Oh Gen, you're so silly sometimes. That's really sweet of you but I think we should spare mankind and the rest of the world from having to see that, and besides, I wouldn't want anyone getting into trouble on my behalf"

"I would not fret, Lazard is already busting my balls about some cadet I allegedly traumatised, what's one more deranged professor to the mix?"

Aerith hung to his midriff for longer in comfort and Genesis silently chastised his raven haired colleague under his breath. Clearly Angeal had not fully appeased the girls emotional turmoil upon her visit to see him, Hewley had probably been more focused on his romantic endeavours with a certain sexually frustrated female from finance.

"Gen"

"Mmm?"

"It's kinda strange that you're down here, what are you doing here? Are you lost?"

"No he's here to see me"

Snapping alert they turned to see the tall slender junior doctor whose office they were camped the way across from, standing in the doorway and looking apprehensive.

"Oh... you're Shal-... I mean doctor Rui…" Aerith chimed then looked to Genesis questioningly.

He simply nodded, not caring to either elaborate or lie to the girl.

"Right um… well I've got to be off anyway, I've got training with Seph first thing. It was nice meeting you doctor Rui"

"Shalua, please" the doctor insisted as the two woman exchanged a courteous nod.

"Cya Gen"

He gave Aerith a meaningful nod, acknowledging and apologising that he was being evasive which she took hint of.

"Farewell"

Aerith smiled and began to leave but not before she angled her face away from the doctors line of sight and mouthed the words 'be nice'.

Shalua was the one who eventually broke the silence unsurely as they watched Aerith disappear from earshot and then from sight.

"Sorry… I heard your voices outside my door. Thank you, I'd given up hoping that you were coming"

"How long were you stood watching us?" he asked blandly.

"Long enough to see you really care about that girl"

_He had been afraid of that._

Genesis cleared his throat.

"Shall we get this over with then?"

He turned on his heels and marched aggressively passed the tired but well-presented doctor who tensed and pressed herself against the door frame to get out of his way.

"… y-yes… please come in"

Entering the mellow but sufficiently lighted room that was illuminated by two tall lamps that stood in the corners of the office, Genesis' eyes were first drawn to Shalua's desk that looked meticulously set up for the occasion. Two chairs were positioned in an almost interview like fashion on either side of the table with the secret file that was the source of all this aggravation laying ominously in front of where she expected him to sit.

"Again, thank you for coming, if you'd like to sit…"

He took the file off the table and went to sit on the small black two person sofa set against the backwall.

"… or there"

He watched in satisfaction as Shalua slowly closed the door behind her and approached hesitantly, looking around while hovering awkwardly in the middle of the room, unsure on where she should sit now that he had moved to the far end of the room. Genesis grinned coldly, she was uncomfortable and that was exactly how he wanted it, people were always easier to read and worse at lying to you when they were uncomfortable.

The displaced prosthetics junior caught a back end glimpse of his smirk before he could hide it and narrowed her teal-green intelligent eyes at him. Next thing Genesis knew she marched over determinedly, took the seat next to him and folded one of her long legs over the other within a proximity that a small two person sofa made far too intimate for comfort. He kept his exterior calm and unreactive but internally it was dawning on him that she had just made his little sofa plan thoroughly backfire on him.

"Look Genesis, I don't want to play games…"

"You experimented on your sister, why?"

Shalua paused in surprise and stared at him wordlessly for his firm and direct interruption.

"Well? Cat got your tongue?"

Shalua uncrossed her legs and leaned forward while clasping and fidgeting with her hands in her lap, exasperating him to see that the mere mention of her missing and presumed dead sibling was already upsetting her.

"... no... it's just" Shalua closed her eyes and took a deep breath to keep it together. "I've never spoken to anyone about Shelke before... you'll be the first… I'm not quite sure where to start"

"Try the beginning. Why did you use her in a vast array of experiments? Needed a guinea-pig did we?"

"NO!... I mean no... it wasn't like that. I never used my sister and I never experimented on her"

"This file seems to say differently" he tossed the item onto the distressed doctors lap beside him, not feeling the need to open what he had already seen.

"… everything I did in here… was for her own good"

"Yes you doctors like to use that line don't you!?" Genesis barked, his aloof control suddenly vanishing before he had a chance to realise the subject bothered him so much. "You doctors think you can use people and children like materials in your fun little projects, it disgusts me!"

Genesis stood up and the stunned woman grabbed his arm in fear that he was leaving but in truth he just needed to get off of that sofa and gain some much needed personal space.

"No! Please don't go already!"

She stood up with him and let go off his arm sharply when he eyed the point of physical contact with hostility.

"Genesis p-please… look Shelke was special… no, IS special… just like I said. Let me explain, you see her mind works differently to everyone else's, it's hard to explain but the synapses in her brain have the ability to process information and make connections at a rate that is far beyond any normal human beings, so much so it's closer to that of a machine than a person"

Genesis stilled, smoothed his jacket and slowly made his way over to the chair positioned at the desk, his interest peaked.

"Go on"

"O-ok... So at first we all just thought she was smart. Shelke was always top of her class, so much so that every few terms they were skipping her ahead into older years, eventually it got to the stage where she had outgrown the school and even the teachers themselves were struggling to keep up. Then by the time she was writing up advanced computer coding at home and helping me with my first year medical exam studies, it was clear that smart didn't cut it"

Shalua sighed unsteadily and walked around him to gingerly take her seat opposite Genesis while absently toying with a silver circular pendant than hung between her cleavage.

"I used to let her sit in front of the computer for hours, she loved it, she would learn stuff in a day that would take most people weeks or months to learn. At first I figured learning that much could only be a good thing and after a while Shelke's academic knowledge was advanced beyond that of someone three times her age, yet she was still only a child and she was still my baby sister…"

"But hardly dumb enough to go wandering off into the slums alone" Genesis mumbled, fingering a small crystal cube that sat on the edge of the delicately light-skinned females desk as he eyed her keenly.

"Exactly"

"That still does not explain why you experimented on her"

"They weren't experiments, they were tests. Like I said, at first I thought Shelke's gift of processing information could only be a good thing, then things started going wrong"

"...?"

"Shelke started getting these headaches, it wasn't hard to guess that they were being caused by her overworking her mind, taking in too much information in too short an amount of time. So I started limiting her time on the computer… but it didn't change anything. The headaches started becoming migraines and then she had her first seizure…"

Genesis watched the fear and grief of recollection play out in the strawberry blondes unfocused eyes, finding it uncharacteristically unnerving that he was listening so intently. He had never had any patience or interest in listening sob stories before, why and how had he got himself into this convoluted position of playing agony aunt in the first place?

"In the end it didn't matter how much I kept her away from books, or school, or computers or the TV, her mind wouldn't slow down. She would learn and come out with things without even knowing where it came from herself, it was as if her brain would evolve on the information it already had all by itself. By the time she was 8 the migraines and seizures were happening every day... that was when I knew I had to do something, really do something"

Slender hands gripped the edge of the desk fiercely which Genesis knew if they let go, would release the dam of tears the doctor was holding back.

"Why didn't you take her to a hospital?"

He knew why, he just wanted to hear it.

"I took her there a few times when things got really bad, but it always drew so much attention so I avoided it whenever I could. I was scared, scared of what might happen if they found out what Shelke could do. We all know what the science department can be like, I was scared they would take her away from me"

Genesis reluctantly nodded, "wise".

"That's why I started testing her myself, to try and understand exactly what was going on in Shelke's body and find a way to help her cope…"

"… and for that you needed the use of company equipment"

Shalua looked at him, a hopeful expression on her face that he was following her logic.

"Precisely. I did most of it in secret, I figured with all of the hundreds of patients we get through here that the occasional use on Shelke would go unnoticed. But after… she went missing" the medical graduate swallowed a lump in her throat. "I went back over everything I had done. I retraced my steps and I found that someone else had accessed my sisters data"

"So you believe someone discovered from one piece of random data on a company system, that this sister of yours had readings that were off the chart and decided to stage a kidnapping based on that alone?" he asked dubiously.

"More or less yes, I…"

Genesis groaned, "miss Rui, I understand your thought process but that is thin to say the least"

"No, please listen to me. The machine I used was a Stasio scanner and the only one in the company belongs to professor Hojo's department"

"And let me guess, you therefore believe Hojo kidnapped your sister?"

"If he saw Shelke's data then…"

"Miss Rui stop. I know he is a creep and let me assure you that I would take an inordinate amount of pleasure in framing that man as a villainous child snatcher, but the jump you have made here is too great. I have seen no child in the department, nor have I been informed of any child being present there from two colleagues of mine who are frequent visitors of that deparment"

"He could be hiding her!"

"Where? In his underground dungeon that is somehow being kept a secret from the world without so much as an incline of suspicion or even the sparsest of rumours floating around? It is too farfetched"

"I know it is a push but I think it could be true! You see I started looking into other strange and suspicious disappearances within the company and I found a number of cases in the past that have had the records tampered with. I collected everything I could and started piecing them together until my research led me to a man in AVALANCHE who knows stuff"

Genesis eyes snapped up from the crystal cube and he stood up, as did the female doctor.

"Ahh, now we get to the real matter at hand"

"They have information on all kinds of big secrets that Shinra have been keeping hidden and they said they could help me find my sister! They verified my findings and they also have information of people with special talents going missing. Five years ago, a 1st class SOLDIER who's name was erased from the system was found to possess an incredible affinity with wielding materia, one month later he disappeared during a last minute and very suspect mission here in Midgar. He was never found. Now listen to this, his younger brother went missing no more than a year later, he wasn't in SOLDIER so not much was known about him, but it wouldn't be hard to guess that he could have shared his brothers talent. Or six years ago, a nineteen year old girl called Argento who could wield infused blades without training goes missing from a Shinra naval base in Mideel..."

"Miss Rui" he interrupted.

"Shalua. Please call me Shalua" she practically panted after bombarding him with information and hardly remembering to breath.

"Shalua then. You intentionally went looking for information to incriminate Shinra for the disappearance of Shelke yes? Do you not find it in the least bit coincidental that an AVALANCHE fanatic happened to be there, ready and willing at the end of the line to give you exactly what you wanted?"

"No it's more than that! They have proof! Records! Evidence!"

"Conspiracy theories strung loosely together from old cases, by terrorists who told you what you wanted to hear, does not constitute as proof"

The hope that had been desperately clinging to the womans face disappeared.

"I understand that but there's stuff I've found in the company myself, not just from AVALANCHE. It might not be solid proof but it's enough to lauch an enquiry…"

Shalua scurried from behind her desk with the folder Genesis was beginning to wish he had never opened clutched in her hands.

"Enough to incriminate Hojo with something more than the fact you once used one of his machines without his permission?"

"Sort of… and not just on Hojo! Others to like professor Hollander…!"

Genesis recoiled a few steps away from the advancing girl.

"Hollander!?"

"Yes! In one of his papers on G-cell superiority he talks about his work on developing a synaptic net drive. There is a section in his written dissertation that specifically states the human interface fails because of limitations in the subjects abilities to process knowledge in the worldwide network. Shelke would be exactly what they…"

"SILENCE"

Genesis' hands erupted into flames causing Shalua to drop her file in alarm and stumble backwards into the desk behind her.

"Do you think I am so senseless as to believe that ludicrous story? Do you think that I cannot see through your attempt to persuade me by including Hollander's name and work in all of this because you happen to have read that I am the subject of that exact same G-cell research!?"

"N-n-no! It's not like that! I mean yes... I knew that you were connected with Hollander but..."

"But!? But what!? It is merely a coincidence!? Is that what you are going to claim!?"

"Wait! Calm down! I thought so to at first, that's why I grabbed you in the elevator the way I did and I was so convinced it was you who broke into my office! It wasn't simply because I asked around and people said they saw you but because I knew you worked with Hollander! I thought that perhaps he had discovered I was onto him and had sent you to find out what I knew. But then after speaking to you I realised that wasn't so, believe me!"

"This conversation is over miss Rui"

Genesis left for the door, he knew when he was being played with and he did not take kindly to being manipulated.

"Hold on! I know how this all seems but professor Hollander's G-Cell…!"

He rounded back on Shalua who had pursued him to the door and pressed his finger to her collar bone until she was backed up against her desk once again.

"Listen here! The mere insinuation that professor Hollander had anything to do with the disappearance of your sister is ridiculous enough, let me assure you that I am the ONLY subject of his G-cell research! But to make a claim that he may ALSO be working with that lunatic Hojo is simply laughable, if you knew the two professors you would know they would sooner share graves with one another than their research"

Shalua's eyes streamed with petrified tears as Genesis' furious and aggressive outburst unleashed itself upon her.

"N-n-not sharing… but I think H-H-Hojo could be use… using your professors research… perhaps… I just need more time and I can…"

"ENOUGH ALREADY! You are finished here miss Rui"

"No… please…"

Genesis took out Shalua's keycard that she had handed to him earlier.

"Luckily for you I believe your story about Shelke and I believed you did try to act in your siblings best interests, that is why I will grant you this one courtesy"

He threw the badge at the unmoving woman's feet from his place at the door.

"You are to be gone by this time tomorrow, you know the consequences if you are not"

The crimson SOLDIER stepped out and slammed the door behind him, his head pounding erratically and his conviction wavering as he paused momentarily in the corridor to hear the ruined doctor sob.

* * *

Pivoting on her heel and twisting away from the long reach of his blade that her much shorter arms worked hard to compete against, Aerith dodged her best friend, adopted brother and disciplined mentors attack. Her heart was beating hard in her chest with excitement because training with Seph, while it was relentless and never easy, always gave her a tremendous buzz. Not simply because it gave her a chance to hone and excercise her own skills with a sword but because it also gave her an opportunity to watch his. Even if it was only a watered down version, Sephiroth's unrivalled talent with a blade was a wonder to watch. The way he looked and moved and executed each movement with finesse and grace, it was more like watching a beautiful dance than someone training in deadly combat. Aerith would have to be careful that she never accidentally said that out loud though, knowing Seph he would probably take it the wrong way and it would hurt his man-pride.

One day she really hoped she could be half as good as him with a sword, which was ironic considering she would never in a billion years want to hurt or kill anybody.

The Cetra brunette ducked down onto her haunches to avoid a horizontal strike aimed at neck height and swung her own sword up to defend against a downward sweep that followed straight after. Their weapons collided and although her arms and thighs were beginning to ache from the long intense session, Aerith dug deep and pushed back. She grit her teeth in determination, knowing it was only a matter of minutes before Seph put her on her back again but she kicked off from the floor with her heavy black combat boots and swung her training blade in with real effort none the less. A loud twang of blades pierced the empty space of the gymnasium and was followed by the surprising whoosh of blunt steel spinning through air.

Her tutors sword went spiralling from his grip and Aerith turned around quickly in absolute shock as she landed deflt down onto her feet. She had attacked him much harder in the past and there was no possible way that what had just happened could have happened.

"Seph...? Sephy are you…!?"

"I'm fine" his tight fitting black leather glove went up when Aerith moved towards him in alarm to see that for the first time in years that he was breathing heavier.

She pulled to a stop in front of him, looking up at intense green eyes that didn't seem to burn quite as pleasantly as usual today.

"Are you… sure?"

He smiled lightly and tipped his head with certainty.

"So... what was that? What just happened?"

"What can I say, you got me"

The girl who was days away from being sixteen nodded back slowly, oddly she had heard the exact same thing from Genesis yesterday and usually she would have been over the moon to hear that from Seph but this time she wasn't.

"Umm… ok, so what happens now?"

"We continue"

Sephiroth turned and stiffly went to retrieve his weapon from the floor while she thoughtlessly let hers hang at her side. It had either come on so suddenly or she had only just noticed but Sephiroth didn't look right, his steps looked heavier, tired even.

She watched on apprehensively as the silver SOLDIER's hand went down to collect the fallen sword and gasped when he dropped down on to one knee.

"SEPH!"

Aerith let go of her weapon and ran over to kneel beside him, grabbing his arm to offer support.

"Sephiroth what is it!? What's wrong!?"

He quickly got back up, trying to resist her effort to help but she gave it regardless.

"Aerith calm down. Too much work, too little sleep and not enough breakfast is all. Let us resume"

She pulled his arm around her forcibly and adamantly tugged him towards the benches over by the wall.

"No way. We're sitting down, I'm tired now anyway"

Her equally stubborn partner huffed dramatically, which was ridiculous considering she was now having to link both her arms around his waist to hold up some of his heavy weight. Once she was there, Aerith ungraciously dumped him onto the bench and crouched down in front of Sephiroth with worried eyes, taking his lightly trembling hands between hers.

"Please talk to me. Tell me what's wrong. Do you feel sick?"

"You know SOLDIER's do not suffer common viral ailments. Like I said I am fine, you worry too much"

"But… but you don't look so good Seph"

He chuckled and pulled on her hands to make her get up off the floor and take a seat beside him

"Owch, you flatter me"

"You know what I mean"

"Honestly it is nothing a few hours sleep won't fix. Anyway, now that you have seen it fit to terminate training, I would like to speak with you about the other day"

"You mean the other day in the canteen? I've wanted to talk to you about that to! Seph I'm sorry, I'm really sorry I shouted…"

"No no no, not that. No that is quite forgotten about and besides if that is what you call shouting then I truly despair. No I wish to discuss something different with you"

Feeling calmer and slightly more convinced from the normal sound of his voice that she had in fact over reacted to his dizzy spell, Aerith nodded and cosied in closer beside him so their shoulders were touching.

"I understand that birthday gifts are typically exchanged on the actual day of a person's birthday, but it is to my understanding that an event such as this requires an extended period of prior notice for the preparation of clothing and the general heightening of anticipation to be fully appreciated"

The emerald-eyed ancient clasped her hands together and inhaled.

_Surely he didn't mean…?_

Sephiroth's hand reached into his jacket pocket and Aerith's eyes widened into saucers as he pulled out two VIP tickets to see Midnight Kalm perform on saturday at the 'Blugu Bar' in sector 3.

"Uhhh! No way! Sephy no way! You didn't!" she practically squealed like a dolphin but quickly stopped when he winced because of mako enhanced hearing. "Sorry! I can't believe you did this!"

He grinned brightly, a grin that was criminal to be hidden away as often as it was.

"How did you get these!? How did you convince the science department to agree!?"

"I didn't, I simply submitted the request stating I would escort you and they agreed. It seems you were right and I underestimated them"

Sephiroth handed her the tickets and seeing and feeling they were real beneath her own fingers only served to escalate her excitement.

"Oh Seph! Thank you! Thank you I love you!"

He knew it was coming and was ready for it when Aerith lauched herself harder than what she probably should have considering he could hardly walk a moment ago to hug Sephiroth tight. Then as she squished herself against him, she thought about what she had just said and reconsidered her words, not wanting him to think she was only saying it because he had fulfilled her biggest wish.

"I een I ahwees uv oo" she muffled into a jumble of black leather coat, soft dark kevlar shirt and belts.

"Would you like to run that one by me again?" he chuckled.

Aerith pulled her face away, radiating with joy.

"I said 'I mean I always love you', not just because you got me the best present ever"

For a second time today, which had to have have been a record, she saw Seph's pure and undisguised smile and although she knew he wasn't comfortable enough to use the 'L' word back, she was perfectly happy with it because thats just who he was and for her the smile alone was more than enough.


	9. Chapter 9

**Afternoon from England all! Kicking off another chapter and one that has been close to giving me a nervous breakdown lol!**

**First things first I have to apologise for the length of this one in advance and can't stress how much it had me running around in circles and thumping my head on the desk. It's 6k words and I had strongly considered splitting it into two 3k word chapters but I simply could not find a suitable or logical breaking point half way. So for all intents and purposes this is two chapters rolled into one… sort of... oh god. *Head thumps on desk***

**Thanks for the reviews back on chapter 8 everyone who reviewed and just thanks to anyone in general who has made it up to that chapter :D**

**Moosh- Great reviewer as ever! Yeah this fic is only really a thing because of you to be honest. Reading LAMTAF made me really want to throw my hand at a pre-crisis, ASG trio fic, it's all thanks to you! It still blows my mind that while I'm in summer here you're in winter there lol. Literally can't get my head around it. (I think I have a vague idea but geography is by far my worst subject haha)**

**Ocena Strex- Awesome feed-back, the full stops at the end of dialogue is DEFINITLY something I don't do and I know I don't do but I should do lolz! I don't know why but I just can't bring myself to put that dot at the end near the quotation mark, it just doesn't look right :D. Thanks for reviewing, I don't want to spoil too much here in the A/N's but the main plot of this fic (yes there definitely is one folks!) is actually going to become very 'Dirge of Cerberusy'. Hope that doesn't put you off!**

**CatXAngel- Thankyou. You might be surprised but I find 'sweet' and 'cute' as a BIG compliment haha, I never thought myself capable of writing anything that fits such description. I hope it continues in this chapter.**

**Chrono- "Woombie" hahaha I know you threw that in there on purpose you funny **** :D. Two weeks in hospital sucks, I spent a day in one once and I loathed it, hope it was nothing serious broseph. I'm happy one of the things you wanted to do was read my fic! That's epic! I just wanted to sleep, eat tomato soup and watch ecchi anime lel.**

**Hope you enjoy!**

* * *

Aerith twisted, turned and arched her neck, inspecting every conceivable angle of the outfit she had been fussing over for days in her wardrobe mirror.

The clean black and white dress sat a courageous number of inches above her knees and she tip-toed to scrutinize its length along with the back of her bare legs, forever wishing they were longer. Continuing her eyes up further Aerith eyed the most dominant curve on display while chewing her lip anxiously. She could have sworn the dress hadn't felt this tight around her backside when she tried it on the other day and now if she looked hard enough, in the right light she could catch the faintest glimpse of her underwear.

The junior nurse refrained from spazzing out, it would be dark at the club and no one would be looking at her butt with that much focus.

_… would they?_

The now sixteen year old Cetra female took a number of quick little breaths.

Gaia she hoped no one did that, she wanted to look nice but not for that purpose. Plus it would be beyond embarrassing, especially as Seph was going to be there.

That led Aerith to her next key concern. The front of the audacious dress cut in a diagonal from the shoulder to the side of the strapless bra she wore, leaving her other shoulder completely exposed and a large section of skin on display. While she knew her brother wasn't a total prude, he was most definitely a good three quarters of one and now she looked at the naked portion of her body with regret and certainty that he wouldn't approve.

_How had she allowed Genesis to persuade her to go for this?_

She shook her head with guilt at the mean and ungrateful thought.

As going down into the city to shop had of course been out of the question, Genesis had gone to some amazing lengths in bringing a whole troupe of outfits to the building for her to try on. This dress and the gesture itself had been her birthday present from the wonderful and sweet SOLDIER. It had also been the first time she had seen the fashion fanatic smile in days. For some reason that no one could fathom and Genesis was not revealing, he had been down in the dumps the last few days.

Deciding not to question her faith in her loyal friends unrivalled wisdom that the dress was 'perfect', Aerith turned away from the mirror. No one knew better about fashion than Genesis, including woman's fashion and she definitely felt pretty, but was Sephiroth going to think the same?

Looking at her PHS she had put down on her bed fifteen minutes ago, her urgent desire for a second opinion from the one person she could always turn to when she needed assurance started to become impatient. As if on cue there was a noise at the door, a rushed tapping that she nearly didn't hear over the volume of the music she had playing in her room. The brunette's barely contained excitement that was simmering beneath all the anxiety, hit critical overload and she half-skipped half-galloped to tear open the door.

"ANGEAL!"

She eagerly opened up, ready to gauge his immediate reaction to her appearance but frowned when she saw the raven haired first looking away down the corridor instead.

"Hey Aery fairy, what's up? You sounded urgent"

"Angeal" she poked her head out to look in the same direction as the cautiously looking around man. "You know that men are allowed in the nurses dorms right?"

"… they are?... oh" he mumbled, standing upright and picking a random stray leaf from his jet black hair that appeared strikingly similar to the foliage of the corridor plant pots. "Well that seems a bit dodgy if I do say so my… oh!"

He finally looked at her and Aerith giggled as she shyly posed against the doorframe.

"Whad'ya think?"

"… I think I've either knocked on the wrong door or I've caught some gorgeous grown woman in the middle of breaking into my little Aerith's room"

Aerith nearly squealed.

Yep, she could always rely on Angeal to say the right thing and if she wasn't concerned about creasing her dress she would have pounced on the tall, strongly built SOLDIER in elation.

"Correct answer!" she chimed, scampering around and placing her hands flat against his back to force the chuckling first into her room, noticing with delight the wrapped gift he had concealed there.

"Hey!... Woah!... Wait!... Are you sure blokes are allowed down here!?"

Aerith shut the door and tilted her face with amusement towards the man inspecting her girlish room for the first time that was currently in its full swing of party mode.

"Trust me Ange', in the year I've been staying in dorms there have been more men down here then I can count"

Her best friend going on as-good-as-father-figure raised both his eyebrows.

"None of them for me though! I mean for the other girls! I haven't! I would never…!"

"There she is! That's the Aerith I know!"

Angeal tapped the underside of her chin fondly then took her hand, catching wind that hugs were presently off limits.

"… happy birthday sweetheart"

There was a sudden sentimental switch in Angeal's voice that along with the gentle contact made the junior nurses emotions unexpectedly wobble.

"You know sometimes I can't believe how grown up you're becoming. Watching how far you've come in nine years, the woman you're becoming… I'm proud of you"

"... Angeal"

"HA! look at me getting all drippy in my old age"

She squeezed his calloused hand with a laugh through glazed emerald eyes, "you're only twenty-five"

"And you make me feel every bit of it. In fact I think I pulled something sneaking down here" Angeal arched his back with a comical frown. "So, was there a particular reason you needed me over here? Or was it just to make me regretfully admit that Genesis actually is every bit the genius he brags to be when it comes to fashion?"

"No, there was a reason" Aerith tuned, going over to her wardrobe and anxiously rummaging around. "You see I always hear from the other girls when they go on a night out, that they all get together to drink... and I know Seph is going to be all rigid so…" she pulled out a bottle of colourless spirit who's name and taste was totally foreign to her and presented it sheepishly. "I was hoping, as you're the closest thing I've got to one, will you be my girlfriend for tonight?"

There was a long moment of silence until Angeal exploded and roared with laughter.

"I'm the closest thing!? Even with Genesis in the fold! Wow Aery! I can't decide if I should be offended or honoured!"

"You know what I mean Ange! I can talk to you about things that the other guys… don't really get"

He continued his episode of hysterical laughter for longer, then wiped a tear from his eye and took the bottle.

"Yeah... I think I... I think I know what you mean"

Taking a deep breath he blinked a few times at the drink in his hand to focus and then upon closer inspection, wrinkled his nose at the label.

"Where did you even get this?"

"I asked my neighbour Lacey to get it for me, she said its strong and I know I'm new at this so I was planning to only have a little. I was hoping you could have the rest... and to be here if I choke... or pass out... or just straight up die"

"You know alcohol doesn't work on SOLDIER's right?"

"I know" she twirled on the spot rolling her eyes. "But you're not a SOLDIER now remember, you're my…"

"Girlfriend, got it" Angeal bit his lip to stop from cracking up again. "Fine fine, but first you have to open your present"

It was the cue she had been waiting for and she seized the wrapped item that the man, who looked like a giant in her tiny room, had set down on the end of her bed.

"I love it!" she cheered hugging the package to her body.

"You uhh, haven't even opened it yet"

"No I mean the paper! I love it, they're such funny little guys"

"Well that's a win… I guess

Aerith delicately opened the pretty paper covered in multi-coloured cactuars and inhaled at the gorgeous cream coloured leather bag with light pink and ivory inlay that revealed itself.

"I figured it was finally about time you replaced this tatty old thing"

Angeal poked a toe at the bland and ancient bag she took to class that was discarded on the floor over by her dresser table. Aerith dropped down onto her bed and ran her hands in awe over the bag, her eyes widening when they noticed the name that was stylishly engraved on it.

"Angeal! This is…! This bag must cost a fortune!"

"It's not every day you turn sixteen. You're a woman now and you deserve to look like one"

She silently choked, unable to speak. She had never been the 'flashy, materialistic or show-off type before, but the thought of how berserk the other girls in her class were going to go when they saw this bag was completely electrifying and enough to make a strong exception. Along with the dress and the anticipation she had for tonight, this was turning out to be the happiest week of her entire life. How had she become so lucky and blessed to have two such wonderful friends and Sephiroth in her life?

While drowning in a pool of joy, the music in the background of the famous band that she would be seeing in no more than a few hours from now, was suddenly turned right up on her small portable CD player. She gazed up to see Angeal, radiating the same happy expression she had with one hand on the volume dial and an open bottle of drink raised in the other.

"Now how about we get this party started?"

* * *

_He was weak and a fool._

Those were the two thoughts crossing Sephiroth's mind as he held the Masamune outright with one arm, his grasp shaking and his forearm burning with exertion to maintain the elevated position. He would be taking Aerith from the safety of the Shinra building, down into the dangers of the city and he was barely strong enough to hold his own sword.

The silver general in the making cursed his hand to be still. He had expected Hojo's procedure to slow him down a bit, but not to this extent.

Hearing footsteps in the distance he quit staring angrily at his own hand and sheathed the sword, while it was infuriating it was pointless being so concerned about it. Realistically any potential threat that a place like sector three had to offer, even if he wasn't at his strongest or best he could handle it with his bare hands.

With enhanced hearing listening intently to the approaching footsteps, he looked at the clock on his desk and nodded when they stopped outside his office. She was ten minutes early.

Sephiroth strode over to his office door, waited for her customary tuneful knock but all he heard instead was the sound of deep nervous breaths being taken.

Frowning he opened up.

"Oh!... h-hey Seph" Aerith mumbled enthusiastically, her hand that was just about to knock his door returning quickly to the hem of her…

…dress.

Whether it was the effects of the debilitation process he was currently under or the sudden unexpected bombardment of looking at an exquisitely dressed woman that strongly resembled his sister stood in his doorway, Sephiroth's head went into a dizzy spin. With her long but curlier than normal hair styled across one bare shoulder instead of straight down her back, light makeup, a boost in height from smart black heels and an outfit unlike anything he had ever seen her in before, Sephiroth had to take a step back to see that it was in fact Aerith he was looking at. The woman sure sounded like Aerith... but Aerith didn't have legs...

He shook his head at his own ridiculousness.

Of course she had legs…

… but...

... not THOSE legs.

"Ummm Seph"

He looked up sharply, blood nearly rushing to his face as his brain connected with the inappropriateness of his actions. Luckily for him however Aerith was gazing down at her own entire instead of him.

He cleared his throat, "yes?"

"Do you want me to go change?"

Her odd question, worried sounding voice and shamed expression puzzled him.

"No. Why?"

"… you haven't spoken… for like two minutes. Are you angry with me?"

"Angry?"

"Because of how I'm dressed"

Put on the spot, Sephiroth observed the girl staring down at her bare knees self-consciously with fists scrunching the hem of her dress in a vain attempt to lengthen it. Knowing he was expected to say something at this point and knowing how terribly inadequate he was in these situations, Sephiroth approached his words with extreme caution.

"I… do not disapprove"

"You don't? You don't mind how I look?"

"No… I think you look... different"

"… oh"

He cringed, those were definitely not the right choice of words.

"But a good different. A different that is suitable for this evenings activities…" he sighed, collected himself and ceased blabbering like a simpleton. "I think you look attractive"

Aerith's face dipped low, turning fifty shades of pink before looking up at him and grinning broadly which he took as a good sign.

"Well why didn't you just say that in the first place dummy!"

Rapidly polarising in demeanour as Aerith so often could, she leaned over the threshold of his office and cheerily poked him in the rotator cuff, "geez you had me all worried there for a sec"

"My apologise, your attire merely took me by surprise at first. Are you ready to go?"

"Only like you wouldn't believe!"

Nodding Sephiroth pushed back the tails of his long jet black coat and marched to join the animated girl in the corridor who was bouncing unsteadily on her heels.

"Seph I can't tell you how excited I am! I feel like I'm going to explo… wait. Hold it!"

Midway through closing his office door, Sephiroth paused and peeked over his shoulder.

"You aren't seriously thinking about bringing the Masamune along are you?"

"... I am"

"SEPH!"

"…?"

"You can't bring it with you!"

"Why not?"

"One. We're going to a club Seph. Not to war!"

"I disagree"

"And two. The place is going to be packed and crowded. Not only are you going to freak people out but you're gonna hit them every time you try to turn around!"

"A necessary sacrifice"

"Seeeepphhh!"

Aerith did her moody-pouty face at him which he paid no heed to.

"Seph! This is not up for discussion! You are not bringing your sword and that's final!"

Switching to her stern and authorative face, his taller than normal teenage sister lunged her hands at his middle.

He sighed. That face didn't appear often but when it did it was futile to argue.

Sephiroth held his arms outright reluctantly as she began undoing the three belts around his torso and waist that held his scabbard in place. It seemed his earlier claim that he could handle any potential threats tonight with his bare hands was truly going to be put to trial.

"Honestly! A SOLDIER who's supposedly all big and tough like you, shouldn't be so scared that he can't step outside without his sword for one evening"

The silver haired second glared at the 'supposedly' bit.

"It's ok though Sephy, I'll protect you if anyone tries to be mean" she giggled, fumbling with the tight straps. "And besides, I won't be able to dance with you properly if you take your sword"

He levelled his stare rigidly on Aerith's long mascara tipped lashes and lightly smoky shaded eyes.

"You are not truly expecting me to do such a thing… are you?"

"What dance? No I'm only teasing, I know you couldn't do that. It's a shame though, I think you'd be good at it"

She struggled with the final heavy buckle until the Masamune dropped from his hip to the floor like a lead weight, nearly taking the already unbalanced girl with it.

"Good at it? How have you managed to arrive at that conclusion?" he scoffed as Aerith awkwardly dragged his heavy weapon across the floor by the strap in the totally inefficient and restrictive dress.

"I train with you Seph… I know a twinkle-toes when I see one"

She hauled the seven foot katana back into his office and at the first chance she got, dumped it in the middle of the floor.

He wrinkled his brow at this and advanced forward, "my sword does not belong..."

Aerith stepped in his path and clicked the door shut behind her, "oops, too late"

"Hmph"

"Now that's out the way, can we finally go now?"

"We can… unless you plan to rob me of any further possessions"

The scarily grown up and womanly version of Aerith chuckled and took the joint of his arm lightly to eagerly pull him towards the buildings exit.

"No, you'll do just fine now"

* * *

Just as he had expected, the inner workings of an alcohol fuelled establishment was everything he detested. Hot, crowded, dark, uncomfortable, a severe lack of personal space, eye-ache inducing flashing lights and Sephiroth had not been able to pick out a single melody he enjoyed among the continuous noisy clamour that the 'famous' live band had been pounding out through booming speakers for the last two hours straight.

Yet despite all of that, he oddly found that he was enjoying himself. Aerith was laughing and smiling. They were together, talking about silly carefree things, having fun. She was dancing and cheering among a sea of equally emphatic fans. Now he was smiling, watching on the side-lines from his glued position at the crowded bar that he had made his safe haven. She turns, standing out vividly among the rest and catches him smiling but he doesn't care, she had been the only who could do that ever since they were kids. That's why he loves her, that's why she's his little sister.

Sephiroth openly chuckled as the breathless and slightly perspiring girl came back over.

"THIS IS AMAZING! THIS PLACE IS AMAZING! I'M MELTING! MY FEET HURT! BEST BIRTHDAY EVERRRRR!"

"Aerith"

"YEEEEAAHHHH!?"

"Remember you don't need to shout, I can hear you"

"I'm shouting? Oopsy hehe... it's so loud at the front I think my ear drums might have blown. It's awesome, You have to try it!"

"With enhanced hearing? I think my head would probably explode"

"You'd love it. Hey Seph" Aerith gracefully hopped onto the vacant stall next to him that the SOLDIER had been avidly guarding with dark intimidating stares from intoxicated individuals for most of the night. "Where'd my drink go?"

"You drank it"

"Oh..." the girl full of life murmured timidly then smiled hintingly at him.

"Would you like another?"

The brunette nodded eagerly.

Sephiroth twirled around in his seat and plucked the cocktail menu from the hands of a woman who had been flippantly using the item as a fan for the last fifteen minutes, disregarding her yell of protest that ensued.

"Very well, what elaborately named concoction will it be this time?"

Aerith dignifiedly dismounted from her seat and the current fish out of water that was Sephiroth, sat stiffly upright as she shuffled in between his legs so they could see the menu together.

"Hmmm, which one do you think will taste the least yucky?"

"You're guess is as good as mine" he murmured, distractedly observing the back of the exposed velvety shoulder his pupils hair hung over and taking proud notice of the soft muscles running lightly down her back that were on display.

"What about a 'Moogley Island Mix'?"

"Predictable choice and one I would encourage, though you are aware it does not contain any alcohol?"

"It doesn't?"

"It is in the soft cocktails section. See?"

"Oh yeah"

"How about a 'Black-Meteor-Super-Nova'?"

"Pffff. Trust you to choose the most ominous and scariest sounding one on the list"

"Looks good to me"

"What about a 'White-Holy-Whiskey'?"

"No. I do not like the sound of that"

"'Tonberry attack'? Tonberry's can be cute... kinda?"

"Thirty-two percent, rather potent don't you think?"

"Is that a problem?"

"You tell me"

She beamed over her shoulder.

"Excuse me mister but I'll have you know I feel perfectly sober"

"I concede that you remain coherent, however I would hardly call five units in your system as 'sober'"

"Five? Where did you get that number from!?"

"From the four you have already consumed in my presence, the five you had with Angeal and subtracting four for the four hours we have been here "

"Wow, does your brain ever stop thinking and analysing everything for like a second?"

"I hope not"

"And how did you know I was drinking with Angeal anyway!?"

"I could smell it"

"Ahhh but how do you know I had 'five units' worth?"

"I could smell it"

"Go away! I can believe that sniffer dog nose of yours could tell I had a drink, but there's no way it can smell how many units I had as well"

"I assure you it can and by my estimation, based on your age, experience, gender and size…"

His leg got playfully pinched. "Are you calling me small again!?"

"… you have approximately four to four units remaining before you lose control of your faculties"

"The word is 'drunk' Seph and besides, that's what I've got you for right? To keep me safe. You're my bodyguard"

"I can protect your person, not you're dignity"

"Hmmm, I may not be an expert on the subject but I'm pretty sure that's the general idea of these places"

Sephiroth scanned around the lively crowd and the variety of odd gyrating movements most of them were making.

"Evidently"

Aerith who was absurdly close to being sat in his lap turned to face him entirely.

"Oh come on Seph, alcohol can't be that bad. Look around, everyone's happy, everyone's having fun. That's a good thing right?"

He was about to scoff at the comment but refrained from doing so at the last minute, realising the girl who had spent the best portion of her life in the confines of the Shinra building had never seen the dark side of alcohol before.

He intended on keeping it that way.

"See! You know I'm right"

"I suppose"

Aerith's eyes lit up playfully at his concession, "yeah so you should drink WITH me! We can lose our dignity together, it'll be hilarious!"

The silver haired second grimaced.

"Alcohol…"

"... doesn't work on SOLDIER's, I know I know. But still! It'll be super fun! Please! I wanna see you try at least one"

"No, that would not be wise, one of us must remain functional"

"But it won't affect you so you will be, Angeal drank lots and he was fine"

Sephiroth hesitated at a loss on what to say. He wanted to oblige her but with Hojo's 'C19' in his system, alcohol on this rare medicated occasion would not only have a good chance of affecting him, but could even prove to be fatal in his debilitated condition.

"I... can't…"

"Just have a sip of mine then. Please, please…"

"Aerith no" he cut in, a little firmer than intended.

"…"

"I'm sorry. I simply do not wish to"

She focused thoughtfully on him for a number of seconds then tilted her face to him brightly.

"That's ok. I don't want you to do anything if it makes you feel uncomfortable. I just want you to have fun as well Seph"

He was about to try and assure her that he was but the sound of the lead vocalist performing in the background, changed songs and if the crescendo of female screams and the violent slap to his arm were anything to go by, it was one of their more popular numbers.

"I LOVE THIS SONG!"

Aerith looked between him and the surging crowd with bursting enthusiasm and he nodded.

"Go ahead"

Sephiroth watched as she cheered excitedly on the spot and rapidly took off to return to the sea of ecstatic fan girls, taking both amusement and intrigue at seeing the way she moved and danced in heels. For how evidently uncomfortable and tedious the things were, he had always seen them as idiotic inventions. But now he observed them on Aerith in closer detail, he had to admit they looked good.

_Wonderful… first Angeal, now he was turning into Genesis._

Sephiroth smirked, leaned an arm back on the bar with ease and continued to watch Aerith in his happy ongoing role tonight as bodyguard and sentinel. It wasn't until two songs later however that he caught wind from the corner of his eye that he was no longer the only one observing her.

His alert senses sharpened.

Across the hectic room the elite SOLDIER clocked two men hovering about on the outskirts, the younger of the pair pointing his finger directly at the back of Aerith.

Sephiroth felt his lips curl angrily.

"AY FELLA' YA' GONNA BUY SUMIN' TA' DRINK?"

Sephiroth shot the bartender hollering at his back with a glare of annoyance and then the whole crowd with a look of startled surprise when he turned back to see both men near the wall were gone. The SOLDIER stood up sharply, his handing twitching instinctively towards the hilt of a sword that didn't exist.

He looked to Aerith.

_Still dancing, still fine._

His keen eyes continued scouting around the place but it was so densely packed and busy that it was a whole minute later until he picked them up again. The men were snaking through the crowd, discreetly pointing at various woman while whispering things that were impossible for even his hearing to pick up on from this distance.

He narrowed his focus on the prowling couple whilst frequently flicking his attention back and forth to Aerith.

What they were doing wasn't anything new, he could look around now and see a dozen or so other groups of men who were more or less doing the exact same thing but there was something about this particular pair that was giving him an instinctively bad feeling. When his suspicions were finally proven justified close to fifteen minutes later, Sephiroth refrained from smirking in satisfaction at his own intuition.

A tall blonde woman in a navy and silver dress dancing with three of her other female companions, foolishly set her drink down out of sight and the dubious characters made their move. Taking something small from his pocket the younger guy 'casually' pretended to stroll by and dropped said 'thing' into the neck of the woman's bottle in one smooth movement.

He sighed at the tedious situation unfolding before him, reluctantly recognizing that he was obligated to act and abandon the comfort of his safe haven at the bar that he had created for himself.

The seconds feet moved quickly, cutting a line through the crowd to catch the guy on his retreat back to his buddy on the outskirts. Sephiroth's hand wrapped around a skinny wrist and with one twist the dull thud of a head hitting a conveniently positioned dance floor table was muted by the bassy and ground shaking music so only a small handful of stares were attracted.

"OW! WHAT THE..."

"Refrain from speaking, lest you wish your wrist be broken"

Reaching straight for the man's trousers Sephiroth took out the small bag of red and green tablets, emptied three into his own hand and put the rest away in his coat pocket.

"Now being that I am a SOLDIER it is my duty to arrest you"

He heard the kid swallow.

"Luckily for you however it is a special occasion this evening and I have neither the time nor the desire to cause a scene. Therefore I will make three things clear. First, you and your friend will never try something like this again…"

"WE WON'T! WE WON'T EVER…

Sephiroth twisted the easily breakable wrist harder making the criminal whimper.

"I said do not speak. Second, you will consume these three pills and personally experience a small portion of the unpleasantness that you were planning on dealing unto another tonight"

_And if all goes to plan, wake up in handcuffs at a local hospital tomorrow afternoon._

It took another twist of the guys arm to get him to open up and another to swallow them.

"Thirdly, you will stand on that spot over there where I can see you for the rest of the evening so that I can be sure you do not try and make yourself sick. Leaving it will become your life's deepest regret"

He shoved the despicable youth of towards the wall and groaned when he turned to see the blonde stranger pick her drink up. As much as he wanted to turn the other cheek at this point and leave the woman to learn from her own stupidity the hard way, the mental image of Angeal folding his arms and shaking his head disapprovingly at the un-honourable decision, prevented Sephiroth from doing so.

He looked to Aerith.

_Still dancing, still fine._

Rushing over he approached the small group of four, pulled the bottle from the blondes hands and away from her lips just in time.

"H-HEY!... DUDE WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING!?"

"Your beverage has been contaminated with narcotics"

"…, …, … WHAT!?"

"Your drink has been spiked"

"WHAT!?"

Sephiroth sighed.

"HEY GUY! WHY HAVE YOU TAKEN MY FRIENDS DRINK!?"

"HE SAYS IT WAS SPIKED!"

"SPIKED!?

"NO WAY!

"HE SAID IT WAS WHAT!?"

The SOLDIER grimaced, why did everyone feel the need to shout so loud?

"You left your drink unatten..."

"WAIT! YOU'RE FROM SOLDIER! HE'S FROM SOLDIER!"

"OH MY GOD HE IS!"

"CARLS! YOU JUST GOT SAVED FROM BEING DRUGGED BY A GUY IN SOLDIER!"

"FROM BEING WHAT!?"

"WOW AND HE'S CUTE! ARE YOU HERE WITH ANY FRIENDS!?"

"I CAN SEE HIS CHEST!"

Aggravated by the women's idiotic, drunk and flippant attitudes, he squeezed the bottle gripped in his hand tighter.

"Who I am accompanied with is of little concern to you. May I advise that you refrain from being so thoughtless in the future and exercise better precautions with your consumables"

"YOU CAN ADVISE ME, ORDER ME, TAKE ME HOME OR DO ANYTHING YOU LIKE SOLDIER MAN!"

A chorus of giggles ensued and Sephiroth gave up, walking away in annoyance to dispose of the infected liquid but not before checking on Aerith.

He looked over to where she was dancing, then to the bar where they had been all night and then around the entire place in a frenzy. A strong sensation of panic set into him and after minutes of wading roughly through the crowd, his panic turned to complete fear.

She was gone.

* * *

Turning down another nameless unfamiliar street teeming with lively people spilling in and out of the bars and clubs of the lively party district, Aerith marched as quickly as her shoes would allow with her fists clenched at her side.

She was fuming, she needed air and most importantly, she needed to get out of here.

Seeing Sephiroth chatting with a group of pretty woman had been unpleasant enough as it was and the gut wrenching sensation it gave her had nearly made her feel sick. But seeing him talking to them with a drink in his hand and making them laugh after the way he had refused to drink with her made Aerith feel angrier than she had ever felt in her life. So angry that when he had tried to call moments ago she had switched her PHS off without a second thought, something she planned on keeping it that way.

The Cetra brunette turned down into another busy high-street of the big city, blindly walking wherever her aching feet decided to take her to try and escape the horrible and uncharacteristic feeling of rage she was experiancing.

So he wasn't comfortable to drink with her on her own birthday even after she had practically begged him to, yet he was happy to do it with four complete strangers he had never met before.

Is that how little she meant to him?

After how hard she had tried for years and how much effort she had put into trying to make him feel more comfortable with her, this felt like a great big slap in the face. She had tried so hard to be that person that Sephiroth could feel most at ease with and seeing him drinking with a group of girls, doing something he wouldn't do with her… the teenage girl knew if she wasn't so angry right now she would be crying.

"LITTLE ONE!"

Aerith jumped fiercely and twirled around.

"It is! I knew it was little Aerith!"

"Sam?" she mumbled dumbly, shocked to see the curvaceous twenty-one year old woman approaching hyperactively along with Lorraine and Rias from her class and her dorm neighbour Lacey.

"I can't believe it's you! Holy cow babe! You look so fuckable!"

Aerith blinked multiple times as her hair and dress were suddenly molested and she was nearly being picked up off the floor in an over-enthusiastic hug.

Lacey smiled apologetically over her shoulder, "she's trashed"

"Aren't we all?" Lorraine giggled, unsteadily leaning on her kind-hearted neighbour.

"Oh, err… thanks? What… what are you guys doing out here?"

Aerith's ribcage was released and her hands crushed instead.

"We're going to sector seven to get the real party started!" Samantha screeched, suspending both their arms up in the air together.

"... and by that she means somewhere that isn't ridiculously overcrowded and charging twelve gil a drink" Rias, a girl she had never spoken much to, added warmly.

"Yeah this sector is a total drag! Though I suppose I could be persuaded to stay if that brother of yours is lurking around"

Her stomach twisted in an awful knot.

"... no he uh, had to go"

"Awwwwww shame"

"You should come out with us then" Lorraine added merrily. "It's fun. A little crazy but a lot'a cheap"

"OH MY GOD YES!" Sam whooped, "the little one in sector seven! It will be adorable! You have to come!"

"I… don't…"

"Come on! I'll be like your big clubbing sister! Come come come!"

The teenage girl looked unsurely between her class mates and then back towards what she guessed but couldn't be sure was the way back to the bar.

"Aerith" Lacey stepped forward, picking up on her anxiety. "Are you alright? You don't have to come if you don't want to, would you like me to take you home?"

The truthful answer was yes but the answer that came out when she pictured Sephiroth again with those women and that damned drink was different.

_Well if he was going to drink, then so was she._

"No… no count me in. I'd love to come out with you guys!"


	10. Chapter 10

**Hello one and all! I have returned from Crete huzaaahh!**

**Had a really great time, though we were LITERALLY drunk for 7 days straight. They have this nasty ass stuff called Rakki over there and we were doing shots of it for breakfast haha (not to mention those cheap bottles of 80% absinthe nom saiyan?) . Fortunately I probably won't drink now for another year and I do think I need it to be that long :D. Also got upgraded to the super deluxe suite which was a room and balcony covering the entire top floor and equivalent to the size of 11 other rooms in the hotel, no joke! Brilliant holiday. Oh and... MALIAAAAA!**

**Couldn't wait to get back to writing though and this was a really fun chapter to write, I hope you all like it. I feel pretty pleased with it but considering I have probably pickled my brain and dropped my IQ by a substantial number of points, I won't be surprised if it's actually terrible lol.**

**Let me know, I love seeing those reviews.**

**Edit 2.0: After reading this chapter through a couple more times today, I spent a good few hours changing pieces as well as a few additions to make the chapter flow better. So for those who read this yesterday and last night, if you fancy the re-read I think it might be a bit more enjoyable :).**

**Onwards!**

* * *

"Emotional morality is suppressed when microphibrilic connectors in the human genome become stantuically imbedded in the vateral chronoclos…"

He sighed.

"Emotional morality is suppressed when microphibrilic connectors in the human genome become stantuically imbedded in the vateral chrono..."

Genesis tapped his foot irritably and for about the seventh time, tried to start again.

"…"

Blinking multiple times at the wall of text blankly the SOLDIER slowly balled his hands into fists.

_They weren't even words anymore!_

Refraining from hurling the printed copy of one of Hollander's many long-winded publications from his apartment window, the second reclined in his chair and rubbed at his strained eyes with a groan. It was severely late, his brain had gone to mush many hours ago and the more he persevered in reading the infernal document, the more dim-witted he felt himself becoming by the hour. Reading the Professors research literature had a distinct and striking resemblance to being around the man himself. Tiresome, dull and utterly mind-numbing when endured in large quantities.

Genesis gazed disconnectedly at the document being softly illuminated by the stylish lamp sat on his original Gongagan ginwood desk, briefly questioning why he was subjecting himself to this torture.

_Guilt._

"Shut up" he snarled quietly, then ran a sleep-deprived hand through his medium length bangs for snapping at himself like a madman.

What did he have to be guilty for? He had given her more than a fair and reasonable opportunity to explain herself. Not to mention he never did report her or get her arrested for treason like he very well should have done. If anything, by only telling her to leave he had done the woman nothing shy of a momentous favour.

Though… he still could not believe she had actually done it.

When Genesis had returned to Shalua Rui's office the next day for round two with the strong-minded doctor, for some reason he had fully expected her to still be there. Few people ever stood up to him the way she had in that elevator, so when he found the room completely empty and cleared out, he couldn't deny that it had been somewhat disappointing. It had also made him feel, for reasons he could not logically fathom and in unsophisticated terms, like the world's biggest asshole.

Of course being an asshole and being worried about other people perceiving him as such had never been a problem in the past, so why was it bothering him now?

He frowned darkly in his chair.

_It is because a part of you believes her story might be real and that she was telling the truth._

Genesis felt tempted to verbally chastise himself again for how ridiculous he was being but gave in with a heavy weary sigh instead, arched his neck towards the ceiling and closed his eyes for a brief second. There was no use in trying to pretend otherwise, he doubted himself and he needed to know that he had made the right decision. He needed to know the truth about Shelke, about the Professor and if there were indeed others besides him on the G-Cell program.

Incandescent hazel eyes settled on the literature laying open before him. He also had to accept that he did not have an education in advanced medical science and that attempting to dissect the Professors work for clues was leading him nowhere.

But what else was he to do? It wasn't as if he could exactly approach Hollander and ask the man if he or Hojo were by any chance involved in secret human experimentation and happened to have a kidnapped child about the place. Perhaps he could ask Angeal to get that new Turk girl he was harping on about the other day, or even Veld himself to hack the science department database for him?

No. That would only start more people asking questions, which would be dangerous considering Angeal had an annoying and uncanny skill at extracting information from both him and his silver haired 'frenemy'. He needed to keep this to himself, for now.

Surrendering to his helpless predicament and the headache that was beginning to manifest in his head, Genesis stood up stiffly to retire for the night. He flicked off the lamp sluggishly and exited the pitch black study, his favourite place to read and one that usually brought him relaxation and tranquillity. Padding groggily through the lounge of his modern style apartment he made regretful eye contact with the artistic metalwork clock by a famous sculpture in Junon and cringed. At least it was Saturday and he wouldn't have to get up early for work tomorrow… or technically today, he mentally thanked the goddess for that.

The next thing Genesis Rhapsodos had any interest in seeing was his pillow, so when he noticed his PHS blinking at him from across the room, he very nearly decided to leave it. Begrudgingly deciding otherwise, he retrieved and flicked open the device with thin interest at first but found his attention swiftly hooked when he saw the rather staggering number of missed calls he had from 'Princess'.

Genesis frowned at the truly odd display and opened the lengthy call log for further inspection.

_What was Sephiroth doing calling him this late at night?_

Before the auburn haired SOLDIER could investigate the log, he jumped slightly as his PHS buzzed into life and vibrated soundlessly through his hand. He answered immediately, refraining from greeting the caller with a typical jibing comment because he knew that with 17 missed calls from Sephiroth, something was up.

"Gene-"

_GENESIS! Where have you been damn it!? Why haven't you or Angeal been answering your phones!?_

"Well I was reading" he murmured, frowning at the sharp, gritty and unusually crazed sounding voice barking down the line.

_Get down here now!_

"Down? Down where?"

_Please! I told ya' I don't know who she is! I've never seen her!_

"Seph? Who's…?"

_You're lying._

_Ah ah ah! No! I'm not! Believe me if I was selling tail like that ya'd know 'bout it man!_

Genesis swallowed, his scrambled brain finally remembering where Sephiroth had gone tonight and where he had taken the youngest member of their group.

_... Tail?_

_Ahhhh! OW! Fuck man! It's j-j-just that… OW! Y-you don't get girls like that 'round 'ere ok! If I had a girl like that on offer! People'd be losing their shit all over town for sure!_

"Seph? Who is he referring to? Where's Aerith!? Talk to me!"

_A girl? A girl like what!?_

_AHHHH shit! That hurts! Ya' know what I mean! The girl on ya' phone, she looks like one of them clean innocent types, guys down here love tha-ahhhhh!... Dude! Come on! Surely even you think she's fuckin' gorge-EAAAAAHHHHH!_

"Seph! Sephiroth relax! Put the pimp down!"

A long wordless stretch of heavy breathing and whimpering ensued until the sound of footsteps clattered away into the jumble of noisy street traffic that was swirling about in the background.

"Good. Now in controlled coherent sentences my friend, tell me where Aerith is."

_… she's... gone... I lost her back at the bar in sector 3._

Genesis who had been slowly inching towards the door, now made a bee line for it, snatching his coat from the counter as he went.

"I'm on my way."

* * *

After three long hours of tearing through streets, clubs, brothels, back alleys and other despicable establishments as well as encountering more unsavoury characters then he could comfortably stomach, Sephiroth marched with haste back towards his apartment. He'd got the call from Genesis twenty minutes ago to say he'd found Aerith in sector 7 safe and unharmed and they had agreed to meet back at his place. It was just about time to, he had never been this close to being out of control before and if the array of injuries and murderous threats he had dished out tonight were anything to go by, him being this way was dangerous. He planned to never let it happen again.

Impatiently riding the elevator to the top floor of the complex he stepped out into the marble corridor.

_… am I Genny?_

_For the third time, we are at Sephiroth's apartment._

Hearing her voice he let out the biggest, most intense sigh of relief, relief that quickly turned to anger when he caught a glimpse of Aerith, wrapped in Genesis coat and leaning heavily against the door.

_But why are we here!? I have a room you know… and it sucks._

_That is in the Shinra building, we cannot afford a member of the science department to see you like this._

_Then I could come live with you instead!... it would be so pretty._

_Uh sure, we shall discuss that in the morrow._

_.. heehee... 'morrow'… you say funny words Gen._

_I shall take that as a compliment. For now though I think you should stay here. Sephiroth will only worry otherwise._

_No he won't! Sephy doesn't care!_

"And what pray tell led you to that conclusion?"

His fellow second and still neatly dolled up sister both looked in his direction until the large pair of glazed looking emerald eyes turned away stubbornly. Sephiroth glanced to Genesis who merely shrugged and the silver SOLDIER felt his temper rise further.

"Aerith. Kindly return Genesis' coat to him. Now."

The clearly drunk brunette being propped up by the door wrapped the oversized coat arms around herself tighter with a pout of defiance and Sephiroth grit his teeth.

"It's err… ok, she can keep…"

"Very well. Thank you for your assistance. Please leave us."

A mildly surprised looking Genesis stepped over and lowered his voice.

"Look I understand why you are infuriated but go easy on her. It's customary for adolescent females to go through this kind of…"

"Thank you. Genesis." Sephiroth interjected dismissively, sternly pronunciating each syllable to emphasise his lack of desire to be counselled.

His jacketless companion rolled his eyes and continued his departure.

"Whatever, I'm too tired for this shit."

Sephiroth let out a short huff after his auburn haired companion and waited until the SOLDIER's footsteps had receded from earshot before folding his arms and levelling his hard gaze onto a gently wobbling Aerith.

"Well then?"

The brunette pursed her lips together, peeked a glance in his direction to see his scolding stare, looked away and twirled a lock of her hair anxiously around her finger, then peeked again.

"What!? Don't looks at me like that Seph!"

"I will 'look' at you however I please until you explain yourself"

"WHA!?" Aerith slurred explosively, attempting to advance towards him with a pointed finger but quickly staggered on heels back into the door. "… what do you want me to say!?"

"How about starting with explaining why you foolishly left my presence and had me tearing through half the city to find you!?" Sephiroth snapped back.

"Well I never asked you to!"

Unfolding his arms, Sephiroth felt his ever rising temper take a dark turn.

"Do you even remotely recognise the amount of danger you have put yourself in tonight?"

"Oh bite me Seph! I had… *hic*.. friends with me! I'm not a child anymore!"

"You could have been kidnapped, killed, or worse you could have been…"

"Whatever! I'm too tired for this sh-"

"Aerith" Sephiroth lowered his voice warningly.

"Look I don't want to talk about it ok!"

Exercising the small degree of patience he had left and recognising the futility in talking to her in the current condition she was in, Sephiroth fished his keys stiffly from his jacket and opened the door to his apartment.

"Hey! Where are you goin'!?... We're not done talking mister!"

"Your drunk Aerith. We will talk in the morning."

"Don't call me that! That's mean!" Aerith shrieked in offense, stumbling after him into the dimly lit room to poke him firmly in the back. "Just because you're a SOLDIER you think you can boss me around and act all mighty and high! Well you'd be the drunk one here if you couldn't cheat! I bet you had lots to drink with those girls at the… at the club!"

Sephiroth paused for a number of seconds before realisation finally dawned on what she was referring to. Twirling quickly on his heels he faced Aerith who was stood in the middle of the room draped in Genesis' red leather coat while discarding his own to the sofa.

"So is that what this is all about!?"

"No" she pouted moodily again.

Becoming exasperated Sephiroth shook his head in annoyance and turned his back on trying to make any sense of tonight's chaos. Leaving to get himself a drink of water and cool off, he made it two steps towards the rarely used kitchen before a loud heavy clunk and a quiet sniff made him stop.

Turning back, his eyes widened to see Aerith slumped in a seated position on the floor with her legs and knees bent awkwardly beneath her.

"… yes… yes it is…"

Sephiroth looked down in confusion, his eyes picking up the glints of moisture in her eyes as she picked miserably at the carpet.

"… Aerith?" he began, experiencing the usual pang of sadness he always got without fail whenever he saw her cry.

"Why?... Why Seph?... Why did you feel you could drink and have fun with them, but… but not with me?"

Aerith close to sobbed each word, alarming him so much with just how broken and hurt she sounded that his simmering fury dissipated almost entirely. No matter how mad he felt or how angry she made him, he never wanted to see Aerith this way, drunk or otherwise.

Sephiroth went over and despite his intense discomfort in handling these sort of situation, he crouched down on his haunches in front of his dearest childhood partner. He had always understood her in the past but as he had been slowly realising over the last few months, that was changing, she was changing and he needed to understand those changes, not confront them.

"Aerith. Is it the drinking or me speaking to those woman that's bothering you?"

He watched through the low to dark lighting as the intoxicated girls cheeks reddened.

"Both… I guess"

He nodded.

"And what was it about me doing those things that upset you?"

"I… don't know" she hiccupped, tears filling her green orbs further, "I want you be me… not them"

Sephiroth frowned at the muddled remark that made no sense but he got the gist of it and continued softly.

"Aerith, what you think you saw, it wasn't what it appeared. I saw one of those females have their alcohol tampered with and was obligated to remove it. I wasn't drinking with them, I didn't even desire to converse with them."

Eyes that were becoming increasingly smudged and panda like, widened and finally shifted up from the floor.

"You… weren't?"

"No" he chuckled lightly, shifting down onto his knee. "And as surprised as I am to say this, I thoroughly enjoyed the part of the evening that we spent together. I thought we had fun."

The emotionally charged sixteen year old who had been gaping is shock the entire time he spoke, erupted abruptly into fast flowing tears and crawled sloppily across the floor in Genesis oversized coat to wrap her arms around his neck and bury her face into his shoulder.

"OH SEPH! I'M SORRY! I'M SORRY, I'M SORRY!" Aerith's breathing hitched and shuddered as she cried violently and dug her nails into his skin. "I'M SORRY! I'M REALLY REALLY SORRY! I-I-I-I… I RUINED IT ALL!"

"It's ok" he responded quietly, closing his eyes briefly and feeling oddly calm compared to how he usually felt in these situations, his hand rubbing small circles on her back instinctively. "It's ok, you didn't ruin anything."

"B-B-BUT… BUT I DID!... I… I…"

"Shhhh" he hushed, bewildering even himself with the comforting sound as it left his lips.

Aerith responded to his tune and settled on pressing her face into his shoulder and letting her muffled sobs play out for all they were worth. After letting her pent up emotions flood out and thoroughly dampen the arm of his t-shirt, Aerith slowly began calming down and then as more time went on, the crying stopped, her body started to relax and then finally droop. The weight of her body began shifting back and forth against his intermittently, the completely drained girls subconscious battling with uncertainty between staying in or dropping out of consciousness. Sephiroth patiently let her decide and to date the only two people he had ever hugged were Professor Gast and the female who's curls were tickling his neck and ear currently, and of all those hugs this was by far the longest of them all.

Just over ten minutes that felt like just over an eternity passed and surprisingly the only discomfort the SOLDIER felt in that time was when he caught the occasional scent of Genesis' cologne as it waft up from the man's coat to intrude on the pleasant flowery spiced smell of Aerith's warm hair. It was a closeness he never imagined himself capable of enduring, let alone enjoying and when the full weight of her body was finally relying on him entirely for support, it was difficult for him to recall how he had been so angry only a short while ago. Angry because of how scared she had made him feel tonight, angry because of the position of helplessness she had placed him in and angry because of how dangerous his response to fear and vulnerability had made him become.

Shifting the weight of his surrogate sister around, Sephiroth positioned his arm around her back and linked the other under the legs of the woman that Aerith had borrowed them from for the night. Being extra careful to reign in his debilitated strength as not to wake her, the silver haired SOLDIER picked the weightless sleeping girl from the floor and carried her across the dark apartment. His gentle restraint however proved unsuccessful and Aerith gasped softly awake midway.

"… Sephy?... Where are we going?"

"You can sleep in my room tonight" he whispered confidently, though on the inside his head panicked with making the suggestion especially while having his hand wrapped around the back of her bare hamstrings. Feeling unsure of whether either were appropriate or if either would freak her out.

A small blush was her only response.

"… where will you sleep?"

"The sofa will suffice."

Aerith nodded and extending one arm awkwardly, Sephiroth twisted open the door to the pitch black room he knew only his eyes could navigate for now.

"Feel free to use anything you like, you know where the bathroom is if you need it. Do you need me to venture to your living quarters for spare clo… Aerith? Are… you alright?"

Crossing the room to place his inebriated guest down, his enhanced senses had felt Aerith's heartbeat progressively quicken with every step he got closer to the bed and it was now thundering at such a rate that even his ears could hear the violent beating. With eyes squeezed shut and frame quaking mildly, she seemed like she was having some sort of fit.

"I-I-I'm ffffine" her voice trembled worse than her limbs.

"… ok" he murmured fearfully, quickly setting her down and now totally sure that he had freaked Aerith out. "Well I'll… speak to you in the morning."

"Wait!"

His urgent attempt at a hasty retreat was stopped with a sudden jerk as a delicate but strong hand latched onto his. He glanced back questioningly but was met with no visible response as Aerith's face was dipped low behind a screen of curls while her chest heaved deeply.

"Is there something…?"

His bemused query was cut short as his arm was forcefully yanked on just as another arm snatched the corner of his shirt buckle and Sephiroth was pulled down by the girl he had known the strong majority of his life. Caught off guard his hand went out to stop from falling on top of her but Aerith grabbed it out, pushed him over and before he knew what was going on, he found himself laying back down in the quilt covers.

"Aerith… what are you…?"

"Do you love me?"

Sephiroth's adrenaline surged and his attempt to get up was quashed as the teenage girl scraped his knee with the tip of her heel to hook her leg over the bottom of his torso and shift her entire body on top of him.

"… what?" he parroted dumbly, too bewildered to react as both his wrists were gripped to the sheets by Aerith and her sparkling but not all together 'with it' emerald eyes locked with his in close proximity.

Hearing his blank response, her eyes firmed and became far more serious and progressively bigger as she leaned her face closer towards his. Sephiroth swallowed at the intense sensation of Aerith's legs clamped either side of his body, the dress she was wearing and everything beneath it pressing further into him.

"I asked… if you love me?"

Her eyes were so close now that with a few more inches, Sephiroth was sure he would feel her breathing on him. His head reasoned that she didn't fully know what she was doing and although he could break his adopted sisters hold with ease and logic told him to do it, he never mustered the senses to do so.

"Aerith. You know I don't feel comfortable saying…"

"I know" she hushed tenderly as if she was comforting a child. "But I want you to say it. I need to hear it. Tell me truthfully… do you love me Seph?"

Silence falling, he and Aerith maintained their respective positions unmoving, him blinking like a gormless moron and her chewing her bottom lip with an expression split between anticipation and anxiety. Put severely on the spot, his brain and everything in the room started spinning, everything except those pure crystal emerald eyes, waiting yearningly for a response. Pretty, mesmerising eyes that once, a long long time ago, seemed too large and owlish on a little girls face. Eyes that always captured his intrigue and now made it take three attempts of opening his mouth before he could speak.

"Yes... you know I do. You're my si…"

His left wrist being loosely restrained was released and Aerith pressed a silencing finger to his lips.

"...mmmmm, that's all I needed."

Leaning across the rest of the paltry distance that remained between them, Aerith reached her face slowly down towards his and the SOLDIER's already racing adrenaline somehow found a way to peak to new limits. Then just when she was close enough that he really could feel her breath on his mouth, she changed course and placed a long lingering kiss to his cheek.

"Good! I love you too."

Breaking the contact with a light hearted giggle and a smile, Aerith climbed off him and Sephiroth got up unsurely while clutching a hand to his chest, his lungs feeling like they were crushed but not from the brunette's meagre weight.

"If… there's nothing else, I bid you goodnight" he nearly croaked, finding himself in dire need to be someplace quiet and alone to gather his composure.

"Oh Sephy, before you go."

The SOLDIER who's chest was literally ready to implode, watched as Aerith propped herself neatly on the edge of the bed, slipped out of Genesis' coat and peered over her shoulder. Her eyes either adjusting to the dark to see him or simply focusing on the luminous glow of his that were casting a calm shade of lime around the room.

"Can you undo my dress?"

He hesitated and felt ready to have a mako-surge induced heart attack, but with no good reason not to oblige the request he shook his head and went over as Aerith shifted the bulk of her hair across her one bare shoulder.

Sephiroth wasn't entirely sure why, but the entire time that he staggered over and pulled the fiddly zipper down the full distance all the way down to the midpoint of her back, he held his breath.

"Nawwwwww, I think I spilled something on Gen's dress! NO! Ooooh I hope it comes out!... Thanks!"

The teenage girl who was suddenly acting completely normal and carefree again, stood up and in an unexpected but all together unjustified panic that she was going to drop her clothes right then and there, Sephiroth made a definitive retreat for the door.

"Goodnight then!"

"Mmmm, are you sure you'll be alright on the sofa?" Aerith inquired tiredly, lifting her foot unsteadily onto the base of the bed to undo the strap of her heel.

"Quite sure!"

"Ok. Night Seph."

Breaking for freedom, oxygen and sanity at last, Sephiroth deftly slipped out of the room and the breath he had been holding tightly in the entire time, crashed out in one big rush of air. With his hand clutched shakily on the handle behind him and panting like he had just gone ten rounds of combat against Genesis and Angeal, Sephiroth stared wide-eyed at the floor.

_What in Gaia's name had just happened?_


	11. Chapter 11

**Afternoon loyal and probably very very excited fellow FF7 fans!**

**Anyone reading my other fic knows how super-duper hyped I was all last week for the glorious remake. Can confirm I still lay in bed, get a flash thought about it or something I want to see in the remake and I get so excited I can't sleep haha. Personally I just can't wait to see HD version of who most of you know is my favourite character (read until the end of the chapter if you don't know). The remake can honestly be the best thing since slice bread but if they aren't in it, there gone be a womble tantrum up in deze A/N's!**

**Hope you all enjoyed the last chapter and thanks for the reviews on it, drenk Aerith was really fun to write lol. Sorry for the delay in posting, June has been a crazy month for me, plus my greatest motivation/inspiration Moosh is off getting herself an education or something trivial like that to keep my writer juices flowing :D.**

**Have fun!**

* * *

Arriving back into consciousness was not kind to Aerith, she'd seen many of her classmates arrive to lectures suffering after a heavy night out and stating that they felt like a 'train wreck', now she knew exactly what they meant. Groaning woozily she attempted to move but found that gravity on Gaia had grown tenfold and her limbs were tangled up in extensive web of quilting. Very large, very fluffy and very pleasantly manly smelling quilting. In other words, quilting that wasn't hers.

The so-obliterated-her-soul-hurt brunette jerked further into conciseness and dared to open one eye, peaking it out from under the covers to survey her surroundings and begging not to find any nasty surprises. It quickly dawned on her from various tell-tale signs such as a dream catcher she had made when she was ten, that this was Sephiroth's room and her alcohol abused innards fluttered with relief, bewilderment and then alarm in that order. Her highly likely to be smudged panda-eye made slow contact with the fabric of the blanket she was snuggled up to the nose in.

She was in Sephiroth's room and she was in Sephiroth's bed!

Aerith snapped her dizzy sight back to the fancy ceiling covered in tasteful ivory swirls. How was she in Seph's bed!? Why was she in his bed!?

Instinctively she lifted the covers away, peered down and then rapidly clamped them back down around her neck with a high-pitched and somewhat croaky gasp, her horrified face turning beet red.

Surely they didn't!?

She shook her headachy brain before she could even consider such a gross thought. That would be beyond weird, Seph wasn't just like a brother to her, he WAS her brother. The colourful adoption papers she'd drawn up when they were kids and forced him to sign were contractual proof of that.

The completely naked teenage woman breathed and focused to try and make logical sense of her current presence in Seph's apartment and indecent predicament in his bed. She could remember storming out of the club, meeting Sam, Lacey and the others and riding the train to sector seven, that much she was certain of.

Aerith gagged lightly.

Finally she could remember doing those sickly orange and black shots and after that completely nothing, except for the occasional fleeting recollections of dancing, a lot of crazy wild dancing.

She cringed, so that's why she was here, she had got wasted and Sephiroth had to have found her and brought her back here so professor Hojo wouldn't see her drunk. Sitting up with sore regret and a throbbing brain Aerith pressed her palm to her forehead, she had been so foolish for reacting the way she had and for running off. She would be totally furious with herself if she wasn't in such a self-sorry pitiful state and wasn't confident that Sephiorth was going to be completely livid enough for the both of them.

He was going to be beyond furious but she deserved it and as much as it crossed her mind to do so, she couldn't hide in here for the rest of her life so she may as well face the music now and get it over with. Swinging her feet off the bed to look for clothes and whimpering at the sight of her dirty marked dress across the room, Aerith was left with no choice but to wrap the white bed sheets around her body and teetered over to Sephiroth's wardrobe. He wouldn't mind if she borrowed something of his, he would probably be too busy giving her that infamous dark broody glare of his and pummelling her into the ground with a lecture to even notice.

Sliding the sleek chrome doors open Aerith was bombarded with a staggering and overpowering volume of belts and black. She really needed to figure out a way to swing a day pass from the Shinra building to take him out clothes shopping.

Choosing the biggest looking ordinary black t-shirt she could find she shamefully bared all to switch into it and lazily re-bowed her hair so she didn't look quite as much of a crazy mess. The brandless, logoless top draped over her frame baggily and although it reached all the way down to a point 2-3 inches above her knee-line, Aerith still felt awkward and way too 'leggy' looking for comfort. She was also not entirely pleased with the way the item hung between her cleavage either but anything was better than bedsheets or an even shorter dirty evening dress. The Cetra brunette tilted her head at her own reflection in the mirror with a frown of dej ja vau, exactly when had she started becoming so self-conscious of herself and with what Sephiroth would think of her? It was kind of immaterial really, she had probably lowered Seph's opinion of her about as far as it could possibly go after last night.

Nervously leaving her safe haven Aerith bravely or foolishly opened up, stepped bare foot outside and padded down the cool marble floored corridor of the great future general of Shinra's apartment. She had been here plenty of times in the six months Seph had had this place as technically it was still situated within the grounds of the Shinra building and it sucked just how astronomically his new accommodation put her little box room to shame. This was the first time however she had slept here, or passed out here, whatever it was she did.

"Good morning."

The low articulate rumble of Sephiroth's harsh tone made her jump slightly as she stepped into the large open-plan living room/diner. She shuffled a few more steps in but otherwise stayed on the other side of the room from the man whose face was currently remaining hidden behind a morning newspaper. Seph always did have a deep and what most called 'scary' sounding voice but she had learned to interpret it well over a lifetime and knew to her great surprise he wasn't angry. In fact for him, it was almost verging on chirpy.

"Morning Sephy" she returned meekly, the pathetic but sincere tone of apology already lacing her words.

"How are you feeling?"

"Hmmm, not as bad as I know I deserve."

The paper pointing a Wutai related headline towards her was placed flat down on the glass table and Seph's vivid venom green orbs met hers with his brow slightly raised. His expression was light and questioning until his gaze lowered onto the top she was wearing and straight away from the change in his face, she wasn't so sure that he was unbothered by her borrowing his clothes after all. Aerith's fists instantly took a hold of the hem of the t-shirt and of their own accord, attempted to remove the 2-3 inches that existed between the material and her knees.

"You are wearing my clothing" he commented evenly as his view momentarily levelled on her legs making Aerith begin bending and fidgeting them into all different kinds of weird positions, trying to figure out how normal stood and coming up clueless.

The overthinking female considered his words tentatively, it was a peculiar thing for him to say. Seph never did grasp the concept or the purpose of a rhetorical question so it was strange that he was asking her one. Or did he really not know whether or not it was his t-shirt she was wearing?

"Yeah, I uh… went into your wardrobe I hope you don't mind, I didn't have any clean clothes."

No immediate reply was made.

"I'll wash it and give it back as soon as I get back to my place" she bargained apologetically.

"No that will not be necessary, I have not worn it in some time, keep it or discard it as you wish. I am merely surprised that you did not notice the bag of clothes I left outside the door for you is all."

"Bag?"

Looking over and backtracking on her journey, she retrieved a large brown bag that was propped by the side of the door that she had indeed missed and returned with it.

"You went back to my place? When?" she murmured, walking right the way through the living room to take a seat at the end of the table opposite him, feeling much more relaxed in her own skin already because he wasn't ranting.

"Early hours of this morning. I hope you find the selection agreeable."

Sephiroth's focus shifted back to the paper that was now being held at mid-height and Aerith took that time to fish through the bag. A light turquoise vest top and her favourite sky-blue ruffled skirt was a perfect choice and Aerith smiled at first to see a black pair of underwear with laced edges. Of course he would choose the only black pair of knickers she owned. Then her eyes bugged and she was thrown into a coughing fit, her pickled brain finally catching up with the revelation that Seph had handled her underwear and been through her entire drawer of panties, some of which were still shamefully childish.

"Are you ok?"

"I'm… fine" she spluttered through her ongoing fit, holding her hand up to stop him getting up. "… Seph… did you… did… did you uh… choose these yourself?"

"No, I did not think it would be appropriate to do so and was most fortunate to run into one of your female colleagues upon returning home. I requested their assistance though they were somewhat intoxicated so I understand if the selection is unsuitable."

"No no, the clothes are fine. Uh who… who was it out of interest? Which 'colleague'?"

"I believe it was the infamous Samantha you speak of. She said she was one of the people you accompanied to sector seven and assisted me in finding you a spare change of clothes. She was most… eager to do so" Sephiroth finished, clearing his throat and slipping lower behind his paper with a well disguised but unmistakable hint of embarrassment.

Aerith silently sighed with relief, not that Sam seeing her knicker drawer was really that much better, nor the awkwardness that she had quite obviously tried to make a move on Seph.

"Thank you. Look about me going to sector 7, it was so dumb of me to run off like that! I'm really really sorry I did that! And for getting drunk! And for making you look after me… and… and for anything else I did!"

Sephiroth raised back up from his paper becoming assertive and intrigued. "You do not remember everything?"

"I don't remember hardly anything" she replied honestly, running her finger in small circles against the glass table bashfully. "I mean I remember everything we did at the club. Don't get me wrong it was such an amazing birthday Seph and I had fun when it was just us. But after doing those stupid shots when I got to sector 7… that's it, everything else is just gone."

His expression changed fleetingly and the stiff, almost tense posture he had been maintaining seemed to relax. It was a reaction she could not quite figure out or put her finger on so Aerith assumed the worst and slapped her hands to her cheeks.

"Oh Gaia. What did I do? I did something embarrassing didn't I!?"

"No, you did nothing to be humiliated about" her combat mentor remarked cooly, folding his paper away indefinitely and standing from his chair to stride casually away into the kitchen.

"You don't have to lie to be nice Sephy! Just tell me, I can take it!"

"You are doing it again Aerith."

"Doing what!?"

Sephiroth re-emerged from his virtually never occupied kitchen with a tall glass of water in hand.

"Panicking needlessly. Perhaps you should try conversing with the planet? That usually calms you."

He placed the delicious liquid straight into her hand and Aerith drank immediately, only just becoming aware of how dehydrated and thirsty she was.

"All of it" he commanded when she tried to stop and continued the rest of the glass with a fake squint. Secretly enjoying his assertiveness over her well-being.

It was terrible to say it but she enjoyed instances such as these when she was in dire need of some TLC, like when she stupidly kicked his sword in training and needed healing. It gave her the opportunity to see Sephiroth's caring side, his nurturing gentle side, a side that would have an entire garrison of SOLDIER's dying of laughter at her if she told them it existed.

Aerith finished the near on two pints of water in a loud gulping puff.

".. agh-thanks, but… I don't think the planet would want to speak to a drunkard like me right now. Please, tell me what happened last night."

"If you must know, Genesis found you in sector 7, brought you back here, you requested to live with him, made some other incoherent statements and then you went to sleep. That was all."

"Really? I asked to live with Genesis?"

Sephiroth nodded with kind eyes as she giggled at the notion, inexpressibly happy that everything was not as dire as she had at first thought and from how light-hearted and un-reprimanding he was being with her.

"Yes, you also wore his coat. Something I am most astonished he allowed you to do considering your reputation has not changed since you were a child."

It was true, it seemed the small girl who liked to place her hands in plant pots, lay her face against soil and chase around after SOLDIER's all day was still managing to ruin dresses.

"Stop picking on me" Aerith beamed as she flicked what little droplets of water remained in the glass at Sephiroth's immaculate silver bangs that could not possibly have spent last night on a sofa.

"I conversed with twenty-two drunks, seven homeless people, seven drug addicts, two drug dealers, a pickpocket, a pimp and various dishonourable woman. 'Picking on you' is all I plan to do today, so how about you get changed and endure my cruelty over breakfast?"

The junior nurse clenched her fingers against her bare legs underneath the table, wondering if he was implying what it sounded like he was implying.

"Breakfast where?"

"Well I have no need and therefore do not keep food here" he gestured a hand lazily towards the kitchen. "But I am sure we can find somewhere adequate for you to eat down in the city."

Aerith stood up so fast she nearly sent her chair crashing to the floor.

"The city! But it's not my birthday anymore! Surely I have to go back to the Shinra building!? Surely professor Hojo wouldn't agree to let me go out two times in a row!?"

Sephiroth chucked at her animated enthusiasm and stepped forward, towering over her to place his hands on her shoulders dwarfed in his t-shirt. It took her by surprise initially, it was unusual for him to be the one to initiate physical contact as she had always been the touchy-one but it felt nice and she stared back fondly.

"Leave Hojo to me, negotiating an extension on our arrangement shouldn't be too difficult" he rumbled and Aerith squashed herself into him with such a brutally affectionate embrace she would have done some serious damage if she was a kickass female SOLDIER.

"Ahhh you're the best!" she cheered ultrasonically and erratically sped off with pattering feet straight for the bathroom as fast as she could. "I'm gonna grab a shower!"

"Aerith. Your clothes."

The trouser less brunette did a fast 180, plucked the brown bag hanging off the smirking SOLDIER's index finger with a sheepish giggle and skidded back off across the apartment. Her excitement level in overdrive and her merciful hangover long since forgotten about.

* * *

Watching his theory on Aerith's Cetra powers manifest on such a grand scale was something indescribable to behold. He had first seen it himself when he was 12, then he had seen it sway even the toughest of SOLDIER's like Angeal, he had even seen it cool off the fiercest of Genesis Rhapsodos' tantrums but this was something else. They'd been in sector four for over three hours now and still had not made it to breakfast. Aerith's innocently cheerful and vibrant new-to-the-world curiosity delaying them between every sight, sound and experience the world below had to offer. It made the woman radiating a vitality that did not exist beneath the plate, stand out like a sore thumb and draw the attention of every other person around her, infecting them with her spirit.

It made his decision in coming here all the more worth it. Hojo and the Shinra science department were undoubtedly going berserk over his delivered message that he would be keeping Aerith for another day. It had been pointless taking her back first thing in the morning, the consequences of him not returning her last night as agreed were long since set in stone so he may as well take advantage of the opportunity to give Aerith one extra day of freedom while he could.

"Who is she?"

Standing on the edge of a street corner of the busy market strip with his arms folded, Sephiroth flicked his glance sideways at a couple, a man and a woman, standing stationary by the entrance of a local materia store with broad grins on their faces. Gazing around the bustling flow of close to mid-day trade he could pick out several groups of stall owners, shoppers and parents all doing the same. Watching Aerith and taking guiltless pleasure in observing the female anomaly with a dozen excited children hanging around her heels adoringly, interacting sunnily with the owner of a colourful incense stall. Usually he was the one who drew the stares of onlookers, but now he had the satisfying bliss of being reduced to nothing more than an unnoticed shadow in the corner. Of course when he attracted onlookers, he attracted them for a very different reason.

The soon-to-be first class shook his head with a mix of humour, awe and amusement when the previously hardnosed gruff looking stall owner roared once again with laughter and insisted on thrusting a handful of scented sticks into Aerith's hand. Numerous other stall owners had done the same and it was uncanny, these were the slums, the place where people cut throats for a gil. People down here did not give stuff away for free, it simply did not happen.

Giving away every stick bar one, Aerith broke away from her new miniature admirers, waving back to them as a playful frenzy of activity and aromatic swordfights ensued between parented kids and street kids alike. That was uncanny to, no one ever let their children play with street kids.

"Seph, everyone around here is so nice!"

_No, actually they're not, you just have magical powers_. He smiled anyway.

"Here, look smell this!"

The sixteen-year old Cetra skipped to a stop at his feet and hovered the perfumed branch in front of his nose. Sephiroth had been able to smell it 100 yards off but obliged her the act of inhaling.

"What do you think?"

"I think it is a concentrated mix of benzyl acetate and artificial hydrangea essence."

"No the answer is wonderful Seph. You think it smells flowery and wonderful."

"I suppose it might be considered agreeable if such things are to your liking."

"Well that's rich coming from a guy with two shelves of shampoo" she snickered, linking onto his arm as they wandered away from the market onto the wider stretch of buildings and cafes, the smell of food quickly rising up.

"Hungry yet?" he asked.

"Starving! Where do we eat?"

"Your guess is as good as mine."

"How about there?" Aerith pointed at a random colourful diner and with no reason to decide otherwise they set a leisurely path towards it. "You know I was thinking, I bet I would be an awesome salesy, merchant, trader person."

"What would you trade?" he enquired, ready to undoubtedly be amused.

"Flowery smelling things... like flowers!"

"Flowers? And where would you source them?"

"I'd grow them."

"And how pray-tell would you do that in Midgar?"

"Mmmm, I'd find a way."

He chuckled, he believed she would.

"Medical professional to flower girl, quite the career change."

"Oh please" Aerith made a flippant scoffing sound, "Medical professional, I'm a lab-rat they couldn't keep quiet."

Sephiroth's jaw stiffened, he didn't like it when she joked about things like that but before he could object Aerith came to a stop, her attention drawn by a loud protesting voice, shouting through a grammar phone amidst a gathering crowd.

_"- and they would have you believe Wutai is to blame! That they are the savages! Do not be blinded by the lies suffering people of Midgar! The war is nothing more than façade for Shinra's greed to seize power, ruin lives and cushion there perfect existence above the plate! Stand against it!"_

Tugging lightly on Aerith's arm he urged them to continue towards the diner entrance at a faster pace.

"What's going on Seph?"

_"Look around you! Look at the conditions we all live in! Look at what a company with a known history of corruption, brutality, oppression and slaughter has done for you!"_

Despite his attempt, regretfully they did not make it inside before the patrol arrived and a troop of infantrymen jumped out, bundling the guy heavy-handedly away into the van.

_"The war is a lie! They are killing the planet! DO NOT SUPPORT THE WAR!"_

Fortunately to his great relief that was all they did, today's orders among the lower ranks clearly did not consist of making a show of force. That would be the last thing he wanted Aerith to see.

"What? Where are they taking him? Why are they not letting him speak?" she continued to press, disturbed by what she had seen as they walked into the establishment.

"Hey there! Just gone be the two of you darlings?"

Sephiroth acknowledged the greeting waitress, an older woman with shock red hair who did a commendable job at disguising her reaction to his appearance and promptly led them to a four seated table near the window.

"Kay we're outta Grak eggs but everything else on the menu is good ta' go." The waitresses attention was drawn away, "Wait a minute little lady. Don'tcha be messing down at that scrap yard all day ya' hear?"

A young teenage girl of about 13 with equally shock red head hair, tomboyish jeans, t-shirt, thick boots and a large pair of complex looking mechanical googles sat at her fringe, hopped deftly over the counter.

"Yeah yeah."

"An' don'tcha be wearing those specs all day either Jessie, don't be giving people a reason to think ya' worth robbing."

"Yeah mom I got it!"

The waitress returned to them with a light-hearted wink. "Kids. What'll it be lovey's?"

The SOLDIER glanced at Aerith still gazing out the window where the protestor had been with concern.

"Can we have a minute?"

"Course ya' can, take all the time you need. Ya'll call me when you're ready."

Aerith?" he nudged after the waitress had left, snapping the brunettes attention from the window. "You are troubled?"

"Why was that man doing that Seph?"

"There are always peace activists objecting to conflict no matter the cause, do not concern yourself with it."

"But is what he's saying true? About Shinra slaughtering people? About the planet?"

He wasn't going to lie to her.

"I'm sure mako consumption is killing the planet slowly yes, I think everyone knows it but so too was electricity. As for killing people, I am sure there too is an element of truth to it, Shinra aren't angels but activists are emotive creatures and tend to exaggerate details."

"And what he said about war, with Wutai, do you really think there's going to be one? Would you have to go? I hated it the last time you were gone."

Sephiroth hesitated, yes there was going to be a war, President Shinra had said as much and that it would be a platform to stage his rise to general. They were preparing for it, campaigning for it, lowering enhancement age brackets for it and nothing was going to stop it. Yes he would have to go and when he did it would be for far longer than two weeks but this was neither the time or place to tell her that.

He wasn't going to lie to her but it seemed he wasn't going to tell her the truth either.

"It is out of our control and therefore futile to speculate. All you have to know is if the day ever does come I have to go, you have my promise that I will return. This world is not the pretty place you would like it to be Aerith, that is why I train you how to fight, how to use a sword. So you will be ready when it is your turn to face it and trust me, you will get a turn."

The brunette soaked his words in receptively and when he was finished, she took a deep breath and nodded resolutely.

"I understand."

"Now how about you order some food? I am getting hungry on your behalf here."

"Sure" the comforted girl eventually conceded.

More conversation passed between them as she scanned through the menu, an eager smile slowly formed onto her lips and it didn't take long before Aerith's old vigour was renewed.

"I think I might have that?"

Sephiroth refrained from making a comment as she pointed at a mountain of carbs and processed sugar in the form of stacked pancakes and chocolate.

"Looks good. Room for one more?"

Aerith's eye's snapped up and Sephiroth's wilted in despair, he had expected him to show up but not quite so soon.

"TSENG!"

Aerith bounded from the window seat like a delighted puppy to greet the Turk who much to his eternal disliking, had been an equally as long, though somewhat elusive, part of the girls life as he had. She hopped up onto tip toes in front of the dark suited assassin but did not touch, somehow Tseng had always successfully been able to maintain the 'no hugs' in public rule.

"Hello Aerith. Sephiroth."

The SOLDIER stood up reluctantly and bobbed his head in acknowledgement to act civil.

"What are you doing here? Are you being a stalker again mister?" Aerith teased playfully. "How long have you been back?"

"I was called back to the city last night as a matter of emergency."

"Why? What emergency?"

At this point Tseng met with the SOLDIER's cold hostile gaze and tilted his face.

"Why indeed."

Noticing the exchange Aerith glanced back and forth between them.

"It's not because of me is it? Oh no! It is! I haven't got anyone in trouble have I!?"

Sephiroth's stare became murderous and the Turk registered it, let it linger a while to goad him as if doing so gave the man satisfaction before relinquishing.

"No, no it is nothing to do with you. A greatly exaggerated issue in sector five and I was passing through the area is all."

"Oh good, well we're just getting breakfast! You should join us, it's alright if he sits with us right Seph?"

"Sure. You go ahead and order. Me and Tseng need to talk."

He didn't wait for confirmation or reply, Sephiroth briskly marched into the backroom of the diner, sending a member of the kitchen staff retreating back the way they came in the process.

"Do not mistake me for another one of Veld's minions Turk" Sephiroth was immediate in rounding on Tseng the moment he followed through the door. "I do not toy with cunning words and fawning stares across tables. I have made it clear that interference from your fraternity of psychopath's will not be tolerated. I allow your involvement in Aerith's life merely out of professional courtesy and her fond opinion of you. I will not hesitate to reconsider that position."

The man who had been his surrogate sisters captor nine long years ago regarded him calmly, entirely un-phased as always.

"I'm afraid your privileged authority as SOLDIER's future general only exists within army headquarters." Tseng glanced around unemotionally but in definite mockery. "But this is not a military zone is it? You are no longer in your jurisdiction, you are in mine. Down here I am in charge and right now I have orders to take the kidnapped Ancient back."

"Kidnapped Ancient!?" he hissed, equally taken aback by Tseng referring to Aerith as 'Ancient' as he was by the accusation she had been kidnapped.

"Indeed. That is what Hojo is screaming from the rooftop, he is furious, more so than you likely care to realize."

"Do not speak to me about Hojo. I am well aware of that lunatics temperament."

"Hm, yes you are. Therefore you know there are going to be consequences to this" the Wutain agent needlessly informed him. "Which begs the question, how did you get Hojo to agree to let Aerith leave the building anyway?"

"That is none of your concern" Sephiroth replied sharply and tried to walk away from the directionless battle of ego's this had turned into.

Two agile hands latched tightly around his forearm as he went and the SOLDIER's combat instinct reacted automatically to throw the marksman off him. He managed to propel his rival with unnatural strength into the wall but with less than a third of the force he normally would have and that was when he knew the Turk had got him.

Tseng stood upright, straightening out his suit-jacket surprisingly not with a victorious look on his face but one of grave understanding. The Turk could read a situation better than anybody, now they both knew the true extent of what Hojo was going to do now that he had broken his side of the bargain.

Sephiroth sighed at this and his checkmated position, "allow her to eat at least."

Tseng didn't say anything but Sephiroth sensed the silent agreement and wearily pushed open the door to the diner.

"Was it worth it?"

He paused in the doorway and one look at Aerith gazing out the window, her face filled with wonder and laughter as a red-headed waitress pointed something to her in the street made the answer very simple.

"Yes. Yes it was."

* * *

**If the shameless plug didn't give it away already, my favourite character of all is Jessie. Please god let her be in the remake! I want my soul to be shattered, stamped on, torn apart and completely obliterated once again on that stairwell leading up to the sector seven pillar :,(.**


	12. Chapter 12

**Top 'o the morning to yee all. Thanks for tuning in.**

**Between Fearing the 1st and my raunchy Down at the worship fic, it's been a bit of a tough juggling act on writing chapters for each fic but I wish to assure you my readers that COS is definitely the fic I have the most ideas/plans for.**

**Hope Aerith and Seph's trip down into the city was as fun to read as it was to write. Must say I am really loving writing for these two and while a number of sub-stories will play throughout, I plan on keeping this fic predominantly centred around them. **

**On a side note I have been reading many hints about Genesis being in the FF7 remake! How awesome would that be? More Genesis, more Jessie and more Zack Fair is most definitely required :D**

* * *

**Chapter 12 Part 1**

"That will be third class squad Kujata's objective upon arrival in Wutai."

Stood leaning lazily against the closed double oak doors at the far back of the packed hall, Genesis sighed at his fingernails. Of the guestimated 150 heads of over-eager rookies mixed in with some high-ups, his was the only one in the room showing a bored disinterest in the matter. He had somewhere far more important to be, he couldn't give a damn about what assignment a squad he didn't belong to were being given and quite why he had been asked to attend this arduous briefing in the first place was becoming ever more of a mystery to him.

"Once a formal base of operations has been established, peaceful measures towards curbing Wutai's escalating materia aggression can begin. Defence of the embassy during those negotiations will be your primary focus."

He smirked at the smooth and controlled voice holding centre stage. To every other idiot in this room Lazard probably sounded confident in his words right now but Genesis had clashed horns in enough disciplinary's with the man to know he was tense and unhappy with this new little scheme Shinra had cooked up.

"Now I must stress again Kujata, this is NOT a hostile assignment. We are not looking to start a war, we are going there to prevent one and any misconduct that jeopardizes that end will be dealt with in the severest of punishments. Any questions?"

Genesis groaned as a hand went up, there was always one.

"Yes SOLDIER?"

"Sir, who will be our commanding officer on this assignment sir?"

Lazard shifted to a closer stance and linked his hands together in front of his body, the thumb of his left hand brushing circles on his right.

The next words to leave his mouth were going to be a lie.

"That is yet to be decided. Any other questions?... good. Report back to your stations and expect a more detailed briefing at noon tomorrow. Dismissed."

With another short groan upon confirmation that his time had indeed been wasted, Genesis turned to use the reason he had stood near the polished wooden doors, to make a swift getaway. The auburn haired fire-caster threw open and marched with long legged strides out the exit before he could be swallowed up in the crowd, the short tails of his crimson jacket hardly able to keep up in his rush to attend his far more pressing appointment.

"If you actually intend on becoming a ranking commander someday, you really should make an effort to mingle with the younger classes."

Genesis barely broke pace despite his great surprise to see Angeal filing in next to him and matching his speed after somehow managing to catch-up.

"That you see befriending children who must be willing to die on your order as wisdom, makes you all the more the fool Angeal."

His larger friend looked momentarily shocked and in that split second Genesis briefly considered whether he had perhaps been too harsh with his words.

"Wow, which character died in one of your books this morning?"

"That was a tediously inane waste of my time" Genesis ranted an explanation as they rounded a corridor corner in unison and he set his sights ahead, considering a new unobvious route to floor 66. "Not a bit of it had anything to do with me! I am certain Lazard requested my presence merely to gloat his authority and to piss me off."

"I doubt it. The director can be difficult at times I admit, but he's not petty. As for having nothing to do with you, don't be so quick to assume. They may be considering you for a commanding role on this one."

"Don't mock me Angeal. We both know I haven't passed my SCT's and Lazard would sooner summon Shiva to diamond dust his testes than promote me. The whole thing was a joke."

"No. That was many things Gen but it wasn't a joke" the marching raven haired first spoke sternly and it was clear from a quick sidelong glance at the sudden hardness in his friends pulsing cobalt eyes that Angeal was borderline angry. "Peaceful measures. Negotiations. It's all a bloody sham. They know full well Godo won't sit by and let Shinra set up camp on his front door. They know damn it! They're sending those reckless Kujata kids as bait, counting on the fact that sooner or later a confrontation will kick off and they will have reason to start their little war. This whole thing is getting out of control."

"Perhaps" the immaculately dressed rapier wielder responded blankly, his mind already beginning to wander away from Angeal's tirade to the mission that lay ahead of him.

"Genesis." Angeal's hand gripped his shoulder firmly to halt them at the junction they would inevitably part ways at and the man's intelligent gaze scanned him uncomfortably. "What's going on with you?"

"Nothing that merits such questioning. I simply have no interest in burdening myself with pointless fretting and speculation on political matters I have no control over."

"This is not pointless speculation Genesis! This is important. I didn't-WE didn't join SOLDIER to become invaders and conquerors. We joined with a dream to be heroes. Don't you remember that? Do you even care?"

"Heroes" Genesis snorted, his face a picture of bitter amusement. "The silly pipe-dreams of children."

"Pipe-dreams? Rubbish! I know being a hero meant more to you than that."

Patience thinning Genesis swatted his imploring friends hand from his shoulder and set his sharp incandescent hazel eyes to the firsts.

"You presume to know a lot about me, a lot about everything in fact. It must be a great comfort viewing the world in naught but the blacks and whites as you do. And besides, who is to say conquerors cannot be heroes? Hmmm? Other than the righteous Hewley code of honour of course" he spoke scornfully and Angeal's mouth opened to respond but he didn't allow him. "In fact if you picked up one of those 'books' you so habitually mock for once friend, you would come to realise that conquerors are the only heroes that history truly remembers."

The thickly built swordsman's face that was creased with concern, dropped. It was perhaps the first time he had ever rendered Angeal speechless in an argument and as Genesis pivoted crisply on his heel to depart, it occurred to him that it did not feel as satisfying as he had always imagined it would.

"You are dear to me Angeal but do not treat me like a fool. I am well aware the days are slowly getting darker, I simply do not care to fight it."

Remaining motionless at the junction, Angeal eventually called after him from afar.

"Then what are you here for!?"

Genesis smirked lightly. A strange reaction considering deep down there was nothing he found remotely funny about it. Nothing at all.

"Informed question Angeal." His voice lowered so only he would hear his own admission. "… at times I find myself asking the same thing."

* * *

**Chapter 12 Part 2**

Floor 66, home to professor Hollander's research facility and much to the two eternally feuding head scientists displeasures, onefloor below Hojo's laboratories. He had been here easily a few thousand times but never in hiding and as Genesis slipped between the shadows of the dark maroon carpeted passages, his G-cell enhanced senses combed over the hundreds of soft muffled noises all around.

Hollander's department was about as stark an opposite as you could get to the anarchy of Hojo's sterile chemical washed medical facility. The halls were softly illuminated in mellow orange lights, the walls decorated bottom half in rich mahogany panels and top in a chic mottled wall paper that gave the place a strong resemblance to that of a tasteful country manor. Though one that was indisputably old fashioned. People didn't rush around in labcoats, the hosts of researchers he'd had to evade thus far were dressed in the smart every day attire of academics. Rooms weren't comprised of steel operating tables, grisly instruments and bleeping whirring equipment. They were filled with books, research papers, giant floor to ceiling black boards crammed with scrawled algorithms and seminar galleries.

Hollander was a theorist, a thinker. Hypothesise first and experiment later as opposed to Hojo's methods of sticking the needle in early and waiting curiously to see how the subject reacted. At least in that detail Genesis had a great deal of respect for Hollander.

Though clearly not enough respect to trust the professors assurance that he was the only G-cell subject or to entrust questioning him on Shalua Rei's accusations regarding Shelke.

_"Focus you blasted fool!"_ Genesis hissed to himself mentally as his brain wandered to thinking about the cute strawberry blonde doctor again, nearly causing him to miss the quiet padded footsteps approaching from around the corner.

With graceful light-footedness the Banoran was forced to flit into the recess of a nearby doorway once again and held his breath all the while a trio of researchers deep in conversation strolled by.

Or at least that's what they were supposed to do. To his infernal luck they meandered leisurely to a stop dead in line to his hiding position, rambling a bunch of biology mumbo jumbo over a single open leather bound book. They remained that way for some time making it difficult for the swordsman to avoid breaking an uneasy sweat because had the man of the group peeled his eyes away to glance over either of his female colleagues shoulders for just a moment, his desire to have his presence on this level kept a secret would truly have been buggered.

Left with no other choice and every second posing a greater risk, Genesis stealthily tested the door at his back and slipped in after a very brief glance around the darkened yet luckily vacant room. It was a large consultation room of sorts, though he paid little heed to the detail of it as he stalked in a crouched position along the huge wall length window, hands gliding along the ledge, his stare remaining focused outward into the corridor assessing the foot traffic.

His reason for being here was serious and grave, his temperament towards Angeal no more than an hour prior foul and yet Genesis could not deny the thrill of subterfuge was giving him an uplifting buzz. He was not adverse to the odd fantasy novel and his accomplishments thus far in not being detected with style and grace deserved a place in the fictional. Like a dark elf or mystical assassin. Or a creature of the shadows.

_"Wings of light and dark spread afar-"_

Genesis' rampant imagination snapped back to reality upon the limb freezing sensation of his shoulder bumping rigidly into contact with what feeling deduced was another shoulder. He turned slowly and was met with equally wide eyes turning equally slowly, level to the exact same crouched spying position as him. Genesis gawped vacantly for a number of seconds at the stranger, a boy with natural green eyes, vivid red-hair styled in randomly spiked peaks and messy bangs who at a guess was no more than 17 years of age.

The bug eyed stare off dragged on in silence for some time, neither seemingly knowing what to do.

Genesis however was first to gather his composure and spoke icily.

"And who pray tell are you?"

"Bob. Who are you?" came a quick, defensive and obviously sarcastic reply.

"I…" Gensis stood up with as much convincing authority and dignity as he could muster. " …am an academic who works here."

"Me too yo" the red-head chimed springing to his feet also and attempting to straighten out his disgracefully sloppy appearance by buttoning his suit jacket over an untucked mostly white shirt.

The pair stared at one another in challenge and to the auburn haired SOLDIER's great surprise the adolescent didn't waver once under his fierce glare. A rarity that after Shalua left Genesis now questioning if he was losing his touch.

"You seem a bit young to be a distinguished researcher" Genesis interrogated coldly.

"And you're pretty strapped up for a regular day at the office" the cocky youth retorted, casting an indicative glance to the hilt of his rapier barely visible on the inside of his crimson leather jacket.

They cast VERY dry smirks to each other for a millisecond, then they were both ducking immediately back under the window to avoid being seen by incoming passers-by.

_Awkward._

More silence ensued.

"Ok check it, ya' don't seem the retarded type to ask questions so like, Imma put it on the level yo" the red-head whispered and Genesis frowned at what that even meant. "I'm payin' the good professors office a visit and as the only thing up here that's worth a spit is on that beardy ol' boffs hardrive, I'm guessing you're doing the same. Whoever you are."

"You're point?" Genesis asked curtly in aggravation, not much liking this eccentric nightmare, being probed on his intentions or being shuffled closer to.

"My point compadray is perhaps we should 'work here' together… nom sayin'? Take turns to get what we obviously came for and split." Genesis regarded the notion critically and was about to make an undeniably mocking comment but was cut off before he could. "Don't."

"… don't?"

"Be a bitch. You're pulling a bitch face because ya' 'bout to say something a bitch would say."

Gritting his teeth hard it took a great deal of self-control to quell the fire magic itching to be conjured by his hand and accept he wasn't intimidating this new arrival into submission anytime soon.

"Fine." Genesis signalled his hand across the room, an 'I-really-wish-you-were-dead' smile fixed to his face. "After you then… Bob."

The poorly spoken youth fired him an aggravating shark like grin and soon, when the coast was clear, they slipped back into the busy labyrinth of corridors without another word. They moved low and fast, staying separated, taking turns to signal the other when it was clear to move and falling quickly into synch. Dare he say it the juvenile was actually more a help than hindrance in navigating through the department efficiently, making it so the first real issue they happened upon was outside the office of the professor himself.

Scuttling over nimbly the red-head joined him behind a water cooler positioned only a junction away from Hollander's study, pressed his back to the wall and squatted down next to him.

"Rahmuhs wrinkled sack that's not good" the youth soon drooled after peering out and spotting the same problem. A cleaner not about to move anytime soon stationed outside an open broom closet across from their destination. "I got this."

Genesis' hand shot out on reflex to pull the stranger back down into hiding.

"I don't think so kid."

"I ain't a kid jackass" came the sharp reply, his hand being shoved off the boys jacket sleeve.

Both down on one knee, Genesis narrowed his eyes cynically on the boys face at that comment.

"… you have red scars tattooed on your face."

"And you smell like a prostitute. What's ya' point?"

Affronted at the insult to his expensive cologne the second class instinctively sniffed at himself and the skinny youth took the temporary distraction as a chance to blindly leg it across the intersection.

"Son of a-" Genesis growled low, started to make chase but was silenced and forced to hastily return to hiding. The way was not clear, making it a miracle the kid was somehow not caught.

Stranded he watched the gangly youth stealthily creep away down the other corridor and Genesis' eyes widened when he realised from the way the kid was moving, it was to get a drop on the cleaner. As pre-empted the fiery-haired rambunctious little shite pounced the frail old worker from behind, seizing the unsuspecting man in a vicious choke hold who lurched around for dear life in response, causing both their bodies to slam loudly multiple times into the walls. Slams that the pair of employees still approaching from the other direction had to have heard.

Genesis closed his eyes and placed his head against the office water dispenser in despair, silently asking the goddess why she was doing this to him.

Next thing he saw were two pairs of eyes locked on him from afar. The cleaners in pure red-ish blue faced terror and the boy cutting off his airways looking exhilarated though also somewhat panicked. Genesis furiously mouthed the words 'LET HIM GO' and waved his arms wildly but the boy laying on the floor with all limbs coiled around his victim didn't relent until the helpless man's thrashing had stopped. It nearly gave the SOLDIER a mental break-down watching the fresh-faced idiot check the unconscious cleaners pulse, drag his body into the broom closet just as the pair of employees made it down the long hall and then re-emerge to send a proud thumbs up his way.

"There is no hate, only joy. For you are beloved by the goddess. There is no hate, only joy. For you are beloved by the goddess " Genesis repeatedly mumbled to himself, a necessary calming ritual at that point in time to stop him from going over and incinerating the twit.

The murderous swell within him certainly abated, that wasn't to say it had completely cured his mood and Genesis was quick in rounding on the red-head upon entering Hollander's office.

"WHAT IN THE SEVEN CIRCLES OF HELL WAS THAT!?"

Already half way over to the professors wide luxurious desk, the scruffy kid turned and shrugged in the middle of the room.

"I said I'd handle it, so I handled it. Old boy sure had some fight in him."

"Handle it!? What you think that innocent man you throttled isn't going to mention that someone tried to oh, KILL HIM!? They're going to know that was someone was up here!"

"True." The adolescent shoved his hands in his pockets nodding, then grinned slyly. "Won't know it was us though."

The SOLDIER's eye twitched and he spoke rigidly through grit teeth.

"He saw me from the ground."

"Eh. He was probably unconscious by that point."

"You had better hope for your sake you are right" Genesis threatened, shoving passed to march over to the professors desk and access his computer.

"Chill, I'm a Turk yo. Even if he did I'll jig him up a bit for ya', make sure he don't talk."

Genesis had speculated from the rough semblance of a very high-quality suit and the reasonably honed stealth skills that the boy was a new recruit belonging to the department of administrative research. He had quickly dismissed it for obvious reasons. Exactly how desperate had Tseng and the fraternity of assassins become? More importantly, why were the Turks trying to investigate into the professors work in secret?

Genesis didn't have time to think about it and transitioned his current dumbfounded expression at learning the kid was a Turk to a heated glare.

"You are not going to 'jig' anyone up, I will deal with it. You have caused me enough trouble."

"Pfft, suit yourself dude" the rookie Turk scoffed as meanwhile Genesis connected the USB device loaded with software to run the list of 400 passwords he had manually constructed from recurring keywords in the professors work and personal knowledge of the man. "Hey bitch face, who said you get first snoop anyway?"

The expression Genesis sent the complaining youth made the previous glare look sunny and for all his gall even the kid was wise enough at that point to resume a lookout position from the window and keep his moody grumbling to an inaudible whisper. A minute passed in blissful silence while the program worked to crudely gain access to the professors computer. Or mostly silence that was mostly blissful to him at least. For his sanity he'd had to block out a comment from the Turk about bending some passing female employee over something or other and a bit of tuneful whistling.

_"Password incorrect"_

"Shit" Genesis cursed when the 400th failure message appeared and remained on screen, indicating not a single one of his combinations he had been so confident about had worked.

"Try 'DeepgrounD'. Caps on both d's."

Genesis suspiciously eyed the Turk still scouting out the window blinds but tried the suggestion regardless.

And it worked.

"You're welcome" his lookout chimed casually and continued whistling.

_'Deepground'_

Genesis had never seen the term mentioned in a single one of the professors publications and while his curiosity demanded he query what it meant, his judgement knew better than to believe he would receive an answer. The kid probably didn't know himself anyway.

Folders in the professors C drive flicked by in their hundreds. Far too many for him to open in the limited time he had before Hollander inevitably returned from his scheduled seminar so Genesis worked on instinct and folder title alone.

_Automatic Test Results CH-53_

_Argento-DATA#12_

_BID_PROPOSALS_

_Nucleic Acids Research_

_Fiscal budgets 008-0010_

_Funny moogle pics :)_

_Nibelheim contingency plan_

_Annual Review of Genetics_

_Publications 1-47_

_Publications 48-94_

_Publications 95+_

_Jenova Biometrika_

_SITE_SECURITY_

_Disease Models &amp; Mechs_

_Rosso casefile 005_

_SisterRay BP's_

_FARAMIS/IFALNA corresp-_

_Lipids Epidemiology Dep_

_Microbiology and Molecular Dep_

_Phylogenetics Dep_

_Neuroscience Dep_

_Virology Dep_

_Banora Botany Dep *disband*_

_Cosmo observatory recs_

_Shinra shares/pension_

_AZUL BEHEME TRIALS CRL_

_Mideel (excavation zones)_

_Project Gillian_

**_'Project Gillian'_**

The moment Genesis' expert skim-reading eyes landed on that folder his heart skipped but for no obvious reason he could discern. The only Gillian he had ever known was Angeal's mother who had, for a portion of his life, been something of a mother figure to him also. A truth he had always been jealous and somewhat resentful of, that the wonderful woman's love for his best friend was born from blood and his from pity. None of that however could have anything to do with what he was staring shakily at now.

The tense Banoran's confusion consolidated into a cold dread upon opening the latest entry file dated a week ago in said folder to find a page headed with his name appearing on the screen above a wall of text and a 3D MRI model of a human body.

He had been in a MRI scanner only 3 weeks prior. Not that it was of any consequence, the shape and proportions of the model before him made it quite clear that this was his body. It dawned on the 20 year old that he had come seeking information on Shelke and found something entirely different.

But why were his medical records being filed away in a folder named 'Project Gillian'?

He wasted no time in reading.

_Date: εγλ 92 circa_

_Entry:#132 - Short entry - Personal_

_Disappointing. Further intra-cytoplasm and resonance imaging tests confirm cellular membrane atrophy and decreased trophic influence on the subjects sympathetic nervous system. Evidence of accelerating malignant G-cell growth has now become apparent, confirming early signs of the subjects condition we have dubbed 'degradation'. The nature of the condition causing severe hypertension on the immune system certainly draws parallels to conditions seen outside of mako alteration, though regrettably such aggressive cellular behaviour is only commonly found in rodents. As a result I fear financial feasibility to research a treatment with such limited practical uses will prove unjustifiable despite my private and honest desire to cure my patient. _

_All current data measuring the rate of degradation indicate that signs of decline could begin in as early as 12-15 months and total physical debilitation a similar period thereafter. Additional tests required to confirm this but for all purposes the condition is akin and may be regarded as that of a presently incurable cancer. _

_Needless to say the blow dealt to G-cell superiority and my research cannot be overstated._

_-Hollander _

With every sentence Genesis' reading had slowed so by the time he had reached the end of the entry, time seemed to have stopped. In his life he had read millions of paragraphs and now his life had just been handed to him in 2. It felt like someone had punched him in the stomach, someone being an Iron Giant that had consumed a potion stores entire stock of strength and haste potions. A gut wrenching blow of reality so sobering it didn't seem like reality at all. This could not be real. This was not his destiny.

The sound of a low whistle in his right ear pulled the faintly swaying and disbelieving swordsmen back into the room.

"Cancer? Ahhh geez dude that's...fuck, I'm sorry. I'm real sorry."

Numbly he turned in a blur to see the young red-head Turk who he hadn't noticed had been reading over his shoulder wielding a solemn sincere expression. Then numbly to the door in unison with the green eyed youth as it unexpectedly banged shut behind a stocky man, fuzzily bearded, his hair in the process of steadily greying its way into the later years of its life. The Turk at his side attempted to react to the arrival but Hollander's hand went up which stopped him dead.

"Ahhh Reno Sinclair I presume? I wondered how long it would be until Tseng sent you here. Wonderful little instrument this."

The articulate gravelly voiced professor meandered calmly into the room and held up what obviously had to have been the device that gave away their presence and had the scientist returning early from his conference.

"Y-you know my name?" the young Turk gulped, clearly shaken at being well and truly caught.

"Indeed, I make a point of familiarising myself with all the members of your department. You aren't the first expendable agent to be sent to investigate my work and I fear you won't be the last." Genesis watched in a zombie like state as the professor wandered unhurriedly over to the antique drinks cabinet in the corner of the old-school office and decant a strong drink. "Fortunately for you I have a great deal more tolerance than that deranged psychopath Hojo. If you leave us immediately I will allow this transgression to pass."

The fresh-faced rookie didn't need telling twice and made straight for the exit in silent haste.

"Oh and Reno, if you are secretly half as bright as they say you are, you'll be sure to keep everything you learned here to yourself. We wouldn't want your career ending fortuitously early, being a Turk will do that soon enough."

His own dark humour garnered a chuckle from Hollander and the Reno kid left, but not before casting an angry snarl to the floor. Left alone the professor dumped himself heavily in a nearby burgundy leather reading chair, crossed a leg onto his knee and tilted his amber liquid filled glass his way calmly.

"Please my boy, continue reading about the truth of your predicament. We have much to discuss."

* * *

**Chapter 12 Part 3**

Sephiroth slowly removed his coat, antagonizingly slowly, his venomous gaze never once breaking from the professors beady malevolent stare that blazed with fury beyond reason. It was late in the evening, he had spent the entire day with his beautiful beloved sister upon arrival back at the Shinra building and it had allowed Hojo's mood to stew to a new peak of rage he had never seen before. Never had the vile being been so angry it couldn't even muster a voice to hurl insults at him.

The pleasure that gave Sephiroth was, without question, worth every bit of what was about to come and he allowed the shadow of a smirk on his face to glint down at the pathetic little man. That made Hojo's furious trembling worsen, or in his eyes improve, the only movement in the creatures entire body besides the constant scrunching and unscrunching of bony hands. Hojo had never been able to get at him and a strong part of this rage was because Hojo knew he never could.

Coat removed Sephiroth blindly dropped the long black raiment away into the quivering arms of a young petite woman with blonde hair plated into a neat high-bun who clearly wanted nothing more at this moment than to re-evaluate her profession as a scientist. She hurried timidly away to place the heavy garment elsewhere and the silver-haired second, only moments away from become a first, did not wait for her to return before placing himself on the table. He showed no hesitation in laying back upon the steel surface as cold and rigid as surfaces got. Nor in his voice as he ordered contemptuously up to the excessively dazzling lights.

"Get on with it."

Sephiroth didn't need to turn from staring straight up to see the predatory snarl or the extra ferocity that added to the greasy spectacled scientists demeanour, he could sense it radiating from Hojo in droves. Rushing back seconds later in response to a small hiss through Hojo's teeth, the terrified azure eyes of the kind faced female assistant were over him.

_Too sweet and kind to survive in a place like this for very long._

The simple but prettily presented woman sent him a deeply apologetic stare from behind the stylish rectangular half-rim glasses she likely wore for fashion then for actual prescription purposes and Sephiroth merely nodded to her in assurance. With reluctance rarely seen among the nutcase professors employees she shakily started to manoeuvre his ankles and wrists as gently as possible into the thick leather restraints secured to the table by sturdy chains.

"HURRY UP!"

The hideous screech pierced through the echoing surgery causing the timorous blonde to jump terribly and scramble to finish strapping his left ankle. Sephiroth had no qualm with the restraints, they were a common safety measure taken during the procedure and one that was not entirely for the safety of the patient. Being enhanced with Mako was a procedure that triggered a tremendous number of extreme and brutal changes in the body. Most keenly of which was an enormous rush of corticosterone in the brain, the hormone commonly associated with aggression. Stories of doctors having their throats bitten out or being bludgeoned to death by the bare fists of crazed SOLDIER's were not unheard of in the early days. Sephiroth had even experienced 'the mist' to a lesser degree himself during his previous dosage for second class status so of course the temporary side effect would likely be far more profound here.

Hopefully he would find a way to bludgeon Hojo's smarmy unsightly little face with any luck.

"I imagine you thought yourself so clever." He rolled his eyes, the professor had found his voice at last. "I expect even at this moment you believe that you do not regret stealing the ancient from me."

The crazed scientist stalking circles around him suddenly pounced from a point just above his head, seizing a rough handful of his hair and with his limbs tied to the four corners of the bench, Sephiroth was in no position to resist.

"But you will boy!" Hojo literally spat from mere centimetres away into the side of his face. "You will, you have my word on that! Draw the formula!"

The barked at assistant emitted a short squeak and Sephiroth turned to observe the woman dwarfed in an oversized labcoat pitifully as she attempted to unpackage an alcoholic swab to sanitize his arm with.

As anticipated the professors eyes closed in exasperation and his voice turned deadly again.

"What is your name?"

"... me?... I… Le-Leonora sir."

"Hmph, stupid name. Are you an imbecile girl?"

"…n-no?" her voice feint with fear responded more as an uncertain question.

"THEN WHAT PART OF LOAD THE FORMULA DID YOU NOT UNDERSTAND!?"

The young woman staggered away backwards under the full weight of Hojo's insane outburst rounding upon her and didn't stop until her rear banged loudly into the counters lining the back wall. Fumbling desperately behind her without taking her eyes of Hojo, Leonora blindly reached to pick up the tray adorned with a fully assembled needle and a vial of glowing greenish-blue swirling liquid. The ugly hook-nosed scientist focused his sights back to him impatiently, hungrily even and Sephiroth's words at that point slipped naturally from his mouth.

"I'm going to take your head someday."

There was no anger in his voice or threatening edge, just a purely factual tone as unremarkable as if he were saying the sun rose in the east.

"I am mindful of that eventuality" Hojo cackled. "And I would enlighten you as to why such a trivial action would only transcend my genius to new heights but an insubordinate fool such as you could not hope to understand the… 'measures' I have taken to prepare for such an outcome. More."

Hojo commanded the word 'more' over his shoulder at the young assistant who was about to withdraw the hypodermic needle from the deadly S-cell/Mako blend after drawing the plunger to a precisely dosed half way point.

"… professor?"

"More" Hojo instantly repeated, darker this time, never taking his stare from Sephiroth's

The mortified blonde proceeded to draw the plunger exceptionally slowly, hands barely capable of holding the equipment steady trying their utmost to up the dosage as minimally as possible.

"More."

The plunger drew a little faster but not by much.

"MORE." Dry thin lips curled in a predatory snarl. "MORE MORE MORE!"

Hojo's meagre patience snapped and the room broke into anarchy. The professor leapt like a snake from the grass, shoved the young woman aside so viciously a line of glass beakers went smashing to the floor in the wake of her tumble and Hojo yanked the plunger the entirety of the remaining distance. Sephiroth's eyes widened in shock at that and as the scientist started advancing towards him, he recognised to even his bewhilderement that action was needed. Sephiroth began fighting against the restraints holding him down, though not in fear, he would never show fear. Though perhaps it should be fear, for Hojo may aswell have had a loaded gun pointed at his head and the wild intent on the scientists face left no question on whether he was planning to shoot.

"No! It'll kill him!" a sweet highly distressed voice implored, the girl Leonora standing panicked at the professors back not knowing what to do.

"The probability is undeniably high. But the road to true greatness requires great risk my dear."

"You can't!"

Hojo froze dramatically in his advance towards a struggling Sephiroth, no others words than 'you can't' seeming to register as a more heinous insult to the livid man. Whirling around the backhanded slap he delivered across the girls pastel cheek defied the strength of the villains frail skinny form, casting the slight blonde who could not have stood above 5 foot 2 or weighed more than 110 pounds flying headlong to the ground. Blood immediately trickled from the corner of the crumpled gasping woman's mouth and Sephiroth pulled harder on his restraints in furious anger.

"I will do as I please with MY test subject! He will either survive and become the greatest specimen that ever lived! Or he will die a failed one!" Hojo continued closing in and Sephiroth attempted to retreat his arm away from the incoming needle to no avail. Resistance was futile, the restraints were designed specifically to hold against inhuman strength and words of protest he didn't even bother to utter, knowing they would only serve to spur the sadistic man on. "Irrespective of which outcome transpires, there is one thing we may be certain of my boy; This will be a deservedly agonizing experience!"

The needle was plunged deep into his arm. Sephiroth winced and shook his head, not believing even the professor had truly lost every shred of sanity.

_This had to be a bluff, an act to try and strike fear into him._

Plunger steadily descending, Mako rushed into the growling seconds arm.

_It couldn't be genuine, he couldn't die at the hands of this lunatic. He couldn't leave Aerith to this monster._

The plunger crossed the half way mark.

_He couldn't leave Aerith to any of them._

Now for the first time fear did creep its ways in as still the toxic life-threatening substance continued to enter his body. The sobs of the woman traumatised by what she was seeing competed for audio dominance against the escalating snickering of Hojp who's eyes were emblazoned in insane mirth. Finally in a truly stomach dropping moment the barrel was emptied completely into his system and it was all he could do but to stare at the drained syringe in disbelief.

It was done now, there was nothing left to do.

Sephiroth dropped his head back to the metal surface and simply blinked up helplessly at those lights the same way he had 9 long years, a cruelly blunt reminder that despite fooling himself otherwise, nothing had really changed. He was just as trapped as Aerith.

_Aerith._

The one person he allowed to be in his thoughts before the pain that was inescapably on its way arrived. Before the mist descended and prevented him from being capable of thinking at all… or perhaps ever again.

He held true to those thoughts, anchoring himself for as long as possible. Hojo's screaming laughter stabbing sharply at his hearing the entire time.


End file.
